And The Cradle Will Fall
by D.B.R Hazlewoode
Summary: Kevin Ryan is finally happy. He has a beautiful wife and gorgeous baby girl. And then one night, they are gone, snatched from their house without a trace. Could this be the return of 3xk? Or will the perpetrator hit a little closer to home?
1. The Sweetest Gift

_**A/N: So I wrote a one shot before this (it's terrible written) called Arms Wide Open, which was a nonsense bit of prequel to this, just so you know that in this story, Kevin and Jenny have already had a baby girl named Riley Kathrine Ryan. (So named by my lovely friend Taylor) Riley's about 11 months to a year when this begins. It's going to be a multi chapter, but I have tests and whatnot, so I may not update constantly. It's just something to do while we wait out the five weeks until more episodes. It's got a slow beginning, but I promise that it picks up in the next chapter. As always, R&R and hang in there! Yours 'till the wheels fall off ;)**_

"_Quietly while you were asleep, the moon and I were talking. I asked that she'd always keep you protected. She promised you her light that you so gracefully carry. You bring your light and shine like morning."-Sade_

* * *

><p>Detective Kevin Ryan loaded the last dish into the dishwasher and turned it on. Casting a sidelong glance at the oven clock, he sighed and moved towards the door. He and Esposito were scheduled to do some follow up on a lead they'd gotten on a case. Why they hadn't done it earlier, he didn't know. Jenny shuffled into the kitchen just as he was shrugging into his jacket. She helped him with it and then kissed his cheek.<p>

"I finally got Riley to bed," she told him.

"Good," he said honestly, smiling and spinning around to kiss her again. Riley was going on a year now (actually, she was eleven months and fifteen days, but who was counting?), and it seemed like she never slept. She may have looked like an angel with her sweet, soft dark blond curls, deep dimples, and twinkling gray-green eyes, but when it was bedtime...That was a whole other story. But Ryan smiled to himself in spite of it all. He loved Riley with his whole heart, so much it hurt, sometimes. He wanted to believe that he was being a good parent, but that was hard to do when he was working all of the time.

"Going out?" Jenny asked suddenly, startling him from his thoughts. He shook his head clear hugged her to him, resting his head on top of hers.

"Follow up with Javi, shouldn't take too long," he replied. He felt Jenny laugh against his chest, and he smiled.

"You're going to be late, Kevin," she warned, pulling away. He sighed and started toward the nursery.

"I know, just let me say bye to Riley first," he called softly, opening the door as soundlessly as he dared. Riley lay asleep in her crib, just as Jenny had said. One hand was curled around her teddy bear, and the other lay open at her side. He smiled with pride as he looked down at his daughter. Javier had been right. She _was_ going to be a heart breaker. Ryan hooked his thumb through her impossibly tiny empty fist and watched her as she slept.

"Thank you," he said silently to no one in particular, "And...keep them safe." The last request had taken him off guard, but he felt like he needed to say it. He didn't know why. What he did now, however, was that he was late. He could feel his phone vibrating in his pants pocket. Not wanting the phone to wake Riley, Kevin stayed by her side for a moment longer before he left the room, closing the door silently behind him. It was only then that he picked up the phone.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming..."

* * *

><p>Javier Esposito sat waiting in his car outside of his partner's house. Gates had assigned them to do some follow up on the case that they were working on. He usually wouldn't have minded, but today, it seemed, he and Lanie had finally gotten their groove back. And anyway, he knew for sure that the lead wouldn't check out, but they had to put the hours into it anyway. Ryan opened the door, and Javier greeted him by handing him a cup of lukewarm coffee. He took a sip and then looked sideways at him.<p>

"What?" Esposito asked.

"Why's it so cold?" Ryan complained, making a face. Javier had to bite back his laughter.

"It's not cold, you're just late." Now Kevin was the one who laughed.

"Whatever, bro." He drank it anyway. Esposito's own cup was already empty.

"How's my girl?" he grinned, putting the key back into the ignition and starting the engine. Just over two or three months ago, he'd been made Riley's godfather. Lanie had been made her godmother, and if that hadn't put them back together, then he didn't know what had.

"Jenny just got her to bed, finally, so she'll probably sleep for all of an hour before she wakes up again." His partner was tired. He could see it in his eyes. Ryan had come into the 12th with horror stories about sleepless nights and diaper changing nightmares, and they'd made Esposito laugh until tears came to his eyes. Kevin always came back with his usual retort, "Wait 'till it happens to you." That usually shut him up. Esposito smiled to himself anyway and put the car in drive.

* * *

><p>Just as they'd thought, the lead hadn't checked out at all, and when his partner dropped him back off home, Kevin Ryan was dead on his feet. He stuck the key in the lock, but to his surprise, the door opened easily without it. Immediately, he was wary. He drew his gun out and stepped cautiously inside.<p>

"Jenny?" he called loudly, somehow already knowing that the house was empty. He tried again anyway, desperately hoping that maybe the sound of his voice would wake Riley, and Jenny would come to check on her, and his fear would be put to rest. But that didn't happen. The nursery door was wide open. He closed his eyes and tried to stifle the feelings, but he just couldn't. He knew what he would find if he kept walking, but he forced himself forward. The only thing inside of Riley's crib was her teddy bear. Placing his gun down, he picked it up. There was a note pinned to its chest. It said simply:

_**Let the games begin.**_


	2. Don't Panic

_**A/N: I'm back with another chapter! Told you that it would pick up! I'll update twice a week (or something) so that this will (almost) last as long as the winter hiatus. I hope everyone likes the story. Any idea where Jenny and Riley could have gone? r&r if you would? Yours 'till the wheels fall off ;)**_

"_Bones sinking like stones, all that we've fought for. Homes, places we've grown, all of us are done for"-Coldplay_

* * *

><p>Esposito was over in a heartbeat, Lanie in tow. Beckett arrived moments later, followed by Castle. They all sat. Everyone except Ryan, anyway. He couldn't. There was too much nervous, pent up energy for him to just sit down and pretend like everything was okay. Finally, Beckett spoke.<p>

"We're going to have to do this by the book, Ryan," she said softly, standing up and putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. He shook it off and spun around to face her.

"We're wasting time just sitting here! If I do this by the book, they can be gone!" he shouted, pointing to the door, "_Dead_!"

"Calm down, bro," Javier told him, pulling him back by his belt loop, "Yelling at Beckett's not gonna get us anywhere." Kevin knew that his partner was right, but that didn't mean that he was ready to accept it. He couldn't.

"Look, we'll start now for Jenny-" Kate began.

"Off the record," Castle added. She nodded and continued on.

"Off the record, and then when the time comes tomorrow, you'll file for Jenny and we'll start officially. Right now, we'll file for Riley." She handed him his house phone, and he rolled it over in his hands a couple of times.

"You can do it," Lanie encouraged. He knew that he could do it, that wasn't the problem. The problem was what chain of events making the call would set into play.

* * *

><p>Kevin came back in from the bedroom, phone grasped tightly in shaking, pale hands. Everyone was bent over something at the kitchen table, and they all stopped and stood when he entered.<p>

"Did you file?" Lanie asked first. He nodded, unsteady, and Javier was across the room in a second to steady him. He clenched his jaws against tears that he knew were coming. Calling had been hard, even harder than walking into the nursery and knowing that his baby girl wasn't there. Filing the report made it hit home: he was useless. He was a cop, and somehow he had allowed someone to walk right into his home and take his wife and baby. He had failed her. Ryan nodded and leaned against his partner. He didn't trust himself to speak yet.

"Sit," Esposito told him, pulling out the chair he had vacated moments earlier. Dazed, Kevin did as he was asked and looked down at the table.

"You found the note," he commented, picking up on the way his voice seemed to quiver. He cleared his throat and tried again, "They pinned it to her...to her teddy bear-" His voice caught in his throat, and he finally broke down. He grabbed onto the first person he saw without thinking. He didn't have to open his eyes to know that it was his partner.

"We're gonna find them, bro. I promise."

* * *

><p>When she came to, the only thing that Jenny could think about was her baby.<p>

"Riley?" she whispered loudly, panicked. She sat up too quickly, and her head spun. She pressed herself against the cold floor once again.

"Riley!" she said, louder this time. She struggled to piece together what had happened, but it just wouldn't work. The last thing she remembered was saying goodbye to Kevin. And now she was here...Where ever here was. Jenny waited for a few more moments before she got up again. She was in an empty room. The only door that she could see were two steel ones, and even though she tried her hardest, they wouldn't budge. She sunk to the floor. Where was Riley? Where was her daughter?


	3. If You're Gone

_**A/N: Okay, so I finally have an idea of where I'm going with this, thanks to my lovely friend Taylor. Of course, I can't tell you what I've got planned, but be on the lookout for some interesting situations up ahead. I'm already missing new episodes of Castle..and thinking about 3xk is making me miss Montgomery again! I'll update next on Friday, so I hope you'll all live 'till then. (Kidding.) Anyway, R&R if you still love Roy! Yours 'till the wheels fall off ;)**_

"_I think I've already lost you, I think you're already gone. I think I'm finally scared now. If you're gone - maybe it's time to go home. There's an awful lot of breathing room, But I can hardly move. If you're gone - baby you need to come home."-Matchbox 20_

* * *

><p>Kevin Ryan awoke, bleary eyed and stiff, and wondered why he hadn't spent the night in his own bed. And then everything hit him again, and it was worse than the first time. He rested his head on his hands and closed his eyes, conjuring up images of Jenny and Riley. Happy. And most importantly, <em>alive<em>. And then something struck him as odd.

"How the hell did I fall asleep?" he demanded loudly, getting up so quickly that his vacated chair fell to the ground loud enough to wake the dead. (He winced at the pun.) Javier started suddenly from his position on the couch.

"Whaa-" Ryan stalked across the room and grabbed his partner by the rumpled collar.

"You-You didn't..Did you _drug _me?" he asked, incredulous. Esposito looked sheepish and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I wouldn't say _drugged, _I mean, medicated maybe..." Ryan shook him with each word that he spoke next.

"Why would you do that? There's so much that I have to do, I don't have time to sleep-" Gently but firmly, Javier took Kevin's hands away from his shirt collar and forced him to sit down. He buried his head in his hands.

"We didn't want to, but after we went over everything that happened, you started freaking out, bro. Castle had some of his mom's pills, and you needed to get to sleep..." But he was no longer listening. All that he could think about was Riley.

"She needs to eat, Javi," Kevin said into his hands, "And she needs her diaper changed. What if they aren't taking care of her? What if-" He couldn't finish. It was killing him just to think of his wife and daughter, out there somewhere, lost in New York City.

"You can't think like that, bro," Esposito told him, "You gotta believe that they're taking care of her. Jenny too. You gotta believe that they're okay."

* * *

><p>Mickey leaned against the storage shed, head down, anxious chocolate eyes checking his phone. To anyone else, he might have looked like a kid waiting around for a friend. But he knew better. He was waiting for his uncle Scarface to call. His thin body trembled in anticipation. Finally, he'd done something right. He wasn't just gonna be the screw up anymore. He was done with his father, done with Jersey. He was in New York now, and that was all that mattered. Scarface had trusted him enough to give him a job, and he wasn't gonna mess this one up. At least someone in his family would finally be proud of him.<p>

"Open it up, kid." Mickey started suddenly, nearly dropping the phone. Instead, he pocketed it with shaking hands and looked up. Scarface stood before him, flanked on either side by Vinny and AK. He'd been expecting a call first.

"H-hi Uncle-" AK's hand was around his throat before Mickey even realized what was going down. He gasped for air and tried to break away, but he knew that the fight was futile. The only way that he was ever gonna get away was if he was dead.

"Don't be stupid," AK hissed, throwing him back so hard that he bounced against the storage shed. Scarface motioned for him to open the door, and he fumbled with the keys, trying as quickly as he could to open the lock. He took too long, and Vinny shoved him out of the way, taking the key and doing it himself. Scarface went in. A moment of silence passed before he stepped back out. Vinny locked the door again and stood behind his boss. AK took his place, and all three stood silent, waiting.

"What's wrong?" Mickey asked nervously, mind suddenly racing with everything that he could have done wrong.

"That ain't them." Mickey blanched. He hadn't thought of that. He raised his hands to his head, and then to his pockets, and then to his face. He wasn't really sure what to do.

"What...What do you mean this isn't them? It has to be," Mickey whimpered, whipping his head around to look at the three of them in succession.

"What's the address?" Vinny growled, cracking his knuckles. Mickey gulped and struggled to recite it from memory. By the time that he got it out, he saw by the look on their faces that he was wrong.

"That ain't them," Scarface repeated, "Somehow you screwed this one up too, kid. Now I don't know who the hell this is, but I'll gonna tell you what: I want my money. So you're gonna get it. Figure out who they belong to, _and get me my ten k_." And just as suddenly as they had appeared, they were gone, leaving Mickey struggling to keep himself from falling. He'd done it again. Only this time, it was for real. There wasn't gonna be any getting out of this.

* * *

><p>Kevin had been expecting a chaotic morning, and that was what he'd been getting. He had filed missing persons for Jenny, been interviewed, and checked up on what was beginning to be the investigation. Somehow, he managed all of this without breaking down. But when Gates appeared beside his desk and ordered him into her office, he suddenly wasn't as sure that he was going to be able to keep it together. Dazed, he took a seat by her desk and waited for her to say something. When she did, he didn't hear her. All that he could think about was time. Fifteen hours. That was how long Jenny and Riley had been gone. Fifteen hours without knowing; fifteen hours of torture, wondering if, wherever they were, they were together.<p>

"Are you hearing me, Ryan?" Kevin blinked and opened his mouth to respond, but she shook her head and cut him off before he could even really begin to say anything.

"Like I was saying, I suggest that you take some time off-"

"I can't," he interrupted. She raised an eyebrow, but he went on anyway.

"I need something to distract myself. I can't just sit at home and wonder what's happening to them. I need to be involved with something," he pleaded. Gates sat down in her chair finally and waited a moment before she dropped the bomb shell.

"That something is going to have to be something other than your family's case. Missing Persons is handling it, and I would like to keep it that way." His mind was sluggish, and it took him a moment to realize what she was trying to say.

"You're kicking me off the case?"

"Ryan, you were never on the case. You're too involved; everything directly affects you, and I don't want anything clouding your judgement." He shot out of his chair.

"But sir-"

"Missing Persons will handle the case. If you have a question, contact them. Otherwise, back to work." Though her words were harsh, she delivered them softly. But they still had the same impact. He wasn't going to be on the case. As he let the door to Gates' office slam shut behind him, he found himself smiling for the first time since the entire ordeal had begun. He wasn't going to be on the case. Not officially, anyway.


	4. Love Remains The Same

_**A/N: Okay, I officially miss my new episodes of Castle. I know everyone probably seriously winced at the 'scarface' thing, but I'm going to explain it in this chapter, I swear. No Ryan in this chapter, but we check in on Jenny and Riley, and we see a little of Mickey. Now we know who took Riley and Jenny and why...but the question is, when are they going to figure out that they've got a cop's wife and kid? And more importantly, what are they gonna do? I'll update Saturday. R&R if you wanna find out! Yours 'till the wheels fall off ;)**_

"_A thousand times I've seen you sta__nding, you make me want to run till I find you. I shut the world away from here, drift to you, you're all I hear, everything we know fades to black. Half the time the world is ending, truth is I am done pretending. I never thought that I had any more to give, pushing me so far, here I am without you."-Gavin Rossdale _

* * *

><p>The crying was the thing that woke her.<p>

"Riley?" Jenny breathed, opening her eyes and rushing to her feet in one fluid motion.

"Riley! Thank you God," she sobbed, scooping up her baby. Riley was still fussing, but she quieted a little. Checking carefully, Jenny saw that she'd been changed, (sort of), but that was about it.

"Shh," she murmured into her daughter's hair. From the corner of her eye, she saw a couple of plastic bags. Bouncing Riley gently with one arm, she cautiously bent down. One of them was filled with wipes, diapers, and baby powder. The other had a baby bottle, some formula, water, baby food, spoons, and a couple of boxes of granola bars. She sat down on the floor and raked her hair back with one hand and pulled down her shirt with the other, leading Riley's mouth to drink. Looking up, Jenny studied her surroundings again. The double doors were still closed, and there was barely enough light to see by. But judging by how hungry she was, she guessed that it was somewhere near midday. It had almost been a day since she and Riley had been taken. She exhaled heavily and told herself to take a breath. Kevin was coming for her. He knew that she was missing, and he was coming for them. All that she had to do was wait.

* * *

><p>Mickey sat with his key in the ignition, knowing that he needed to go, and somehow not yet ready to start the engine and get on his way. Time was definitely of the essence, but his fear was more overwhelming. Somehow, he'd managed to screw up again. He hadn't heard anything from his uncle since they'd met at the storage place earlier. All that Mickey could think about was getting that ten thousand dollars, plus a little extra to make up for it. But something told him that once he got his uncle's money, he would be dead. Even thinking it so bluntly made him shiver. But that was the way that they worked; he'd known that when he showed up, and yet he still wanted in. Finally starting up the engine, he shook his head. He really was a stupid kid.<p>

* * *

><p>Mickey knew that the house would be swarmed with cops by the time he got there, and he wasn't wrong. There was at least three cop cars in the drive and around the corner, and people were coming in and out of the house like it was a friggin' Christmas party or something. Keeping his eyes away from the busy scene, Mickey drove a few houses past, to where it wasn't as crowded. The ransom note lay on the car seat next to him, already sealed in its envelope. The first note in the beginning had been at his uncle's request. He had told him to play a little cat and mouse before he killed him.<p>

"But I screwed that up, didn't I?" he said to himself, parking in front of a house and grabbing the note. Now there was no real reason to leave notes anymore. He'd grabbed the wrong lady, so the notes were worthless. Except this one. It would bring his uncle his money...but it would also bring Mickey to his death. He stuck it in the mailbox and hopped back into the cab of his truck. If the people inside were as smart as he thought, they'd see that the letter was clearly addressed to the man who lived down the road, not them, and walk it over; doing his dirty work for him. He felt a pang of guilt over torturing these innocent people...and then it was gone, and he started up the truck again. As he drove, he wondered what his uncle was doing with the Joseph's real family.

* * *

><p>Scarface and Vinny had driven for over an hour, trying to get tabs on Joseph Coppola. If there was one thing Coppola was good at, it was hiding. But Vinny was even better at seeking, and when they pulled the car into a ratty hotel about an hour and a half out of the way, Scarface knew that he was here. He had the feeling. They got out of the car, and he let Vinny do all the...'talking'. Within minutes, they not only had a room key and room number, but a couple of free rooms. Vinny had a way with...words. Forgoing the key, Vinny kicked down the door. Sure enough, Coppola was just packing a suitcase. He looked up in fear, and then immediately yelled for his wife to take their daughter and hide in the bathroom. At the snap of Scarface's fingers, Coppola was against the wall, hands behind his head.<p>

"S-scarface," he said weakly. He sneered, and slapped him twice: once for calling him Scarface, and another for making him come all the way out here. The cops had named him Scarface; he hadn't chosen it for himself. But after he'd taken that blade to the face, it was what everyone called him. He'd gone by Paolo. Simple. Forgettable.

"Where the hell's my money at, Joe?" he demanded, snapping again. Vinny shoved him to the ground.

"I-I-I..."

"Here's what I think. I think that you don't got my money. I think you were trying to run away because you don't have my money. That make sense, Joseph?" Scarface asked, turning around and pacing through the room. There was a moment before Coppola tried to offer excuses.

"I'm gonna get your money, I swear-"

"No. Here's what you're gonna do for me," he motioned for Vinny to hand over the rope, "We're gonna tie up some lose ends." Coppola looked confused, and then shocked, and then afraid.

"I don't understand-"

"'Course you don't," Scarface tossed him the rope, "Your pretty little blond girl in there? Kill her."


	5. House Of Wolves

_**A/N: Hi everyone! Hope you're loving the story. Not much to say here, but it's getting interesting. Someone's suspecting 3XK, but that can't be the case...right? Beware of red herrings, and remember that every event has a time and place. Our kidnappers work in mysterious ways. R&R and stay in school, kids. Yours 'till the wheels fall off. ;)**_

"_You better run like the devil 'cause they're never gonna leave you alone. You better hide up in the alley 'cause they're never gonna find you a home. And as the blood runs down the walls, you see me creepin' up these halls..."-My Chemical Romance_

* * *

><p>Javier Esposito closed the blinds and turned his back to them. His partner paced nervously around the room, talking rapidly on his cell phone. He wasn't getting any new information, and he was quickly becoming frustrated. Javier could tell. Finally, Kevin hung up, clearly upset. Esposito nodded to the phone.<p>

"What'd he say?" Ryan shook his head.

"There were no prints on the knob besides ours. No prints on the note, or on Riley...or on Riley's bear, either. Only footprints look like ours," he said, sitting on the couch, dejected. His partner sat down next to him.

"What were you looking at outside?" he asked suddenly.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, there's a couple of news crews out there. I closed the blinds." Ryan pulled at the hair at his temples.

"So that everyone knows that the cop can't keep an eye on his family." Esposito slung an arm around his shoulder.

"Think of it as now everyone knows to have an eye out for them. Having the public on this is like having an extra couple thousand boots on the ground. It's only gonna help out, bro."

* * *

><p>Castle was still outlining his theories on the whiteboard when Beckett walked back in.<p>

"Anything?" Detectives Matthew and Dragani were heading the investigation. Beckett had tried to convince Gates otherwise, but as she had rudely (and, unfortunately, rightfully) told them, this was a missing person's case, not a homicide. He turned around when he realized that she hadn't responded.

"What-" he began, turning around. The look on his face made him drop the marker and look over her shoulder. It was a new case file. The victim was young. Pretty. Blond...Like Jenny.

"How long ago was she murdered?"

"Two days," Beckett said, clearing her throat.

"Today is Wednesday," Castle pointed out quietly.

"Oh my God," Beckett whispered, closing the file. The woman had been strangled with a green and white rope.

* * *

><p>The doorbell rang, and Ryan sprinted to the door and answered it, expecting someone from the twelfth. Instead, it was the lady from a couple of doors down. Peering over her shoulder, he saw the uniforms in the car down the drive. He waved at them and then sagged against the door.<p>

"Mrs. Reid," he said.

"Kevin, honey, I'm sorry about Jenny and Riley."

"Thank you Mrs. Reid," he replied automatically.

"Have you-"

"I'm actually kind of busy," he interjected, looking back into the house. She looked as if she'd just remembered something.

"Oh, right! I just came over here to drop some food off in case you've been too busy to make something to eat. And here, I think I got your mail by accident again. You know how that happens." He accepted the covered dish, and then looked down at the letter. It wasn't completely filled out on the front.

"Javier?" he called out.

"Yo." Kevin took a step back.

"This look suspicious to you?" Esposito cocked his head to the side and then reached into his back pocket and pulled out an evidence bag. He shook the letter into it and walked back inside.

"Mrs. Reid, who else has touched this besides you?" She looked flustered.

"I..um, just me, I just brought in it...Maybe the mail man...Kevin, did I do something wrong?"

"No. Thank you," he said, closing the door. He knew that he was being rude, but he also knew what was in that envelope. Javier had donned a pair of gloves and was sliding a finger under it. The envelope was still inside the evidence bag. He tugged the note out and held it up, still closed.

"If we're still dealing with the same jackasses, there won't be any prints on it. We can wait and call it in, or we can just open it now," he warned. Ryan stood behind him, biting his lip. He'd cast the plate aside, forgotten.

"Wait. No, open it...no-"

"Bro, it could just be nothing. What do you want me to do?" He took a deep breath and then closed his eyes.

"Read it to me."

"'I have your wife and daughter. They are safe-for now. I cannot promise they will stay that way if you do not do exactly as I tell you. Bring ten thousand dollars in small bills to the abandoned truck yard on Green street at exactly one o'clock pm on Friday. Come alone, or I will kill my hostages. Do exactly as I say, and your family will be returned, unharmed. You will not be contacted by me again.'" Ryan shuddered. Carefully, Esposito put the letter back in the envelope and sealed the bag.

"Bro-" But even he was at a loss for words. Though neither of them said anything, they were both thinking the same thing:

It had all just become real.


	6. After The Rain

_**A/N: It's almost Christmas time! Should I post over break, or would you rather I wait? It's up to you guys, so let me know. Caught up on your Christmas shopping yet? I'm not. Still going. (SO. BEHIND.) Anyway, in this chapter, Mickey realizes that he's made a huge mistake. How's he gonna get himself out of this one? r&r to find out! Yours 'till the wheels fall off ;)**_

"_After the rain, I still see heaven crying. After the rain, I still feel no relief. 'Cause everything we used to be and used to feel, it all becomes so frightening so real...after the rain."-Cinema Bizarre _

* * *

><p>Riley was still sleeping when Jenny woke up again. She still didn't know what time it was, so she just guessed that it was the following day. But try as she might, she didn't know what day that actually was. She stood up and went to check on her daughter. She hadn't had much, but she had managed to fashion a makeshift crib for her from the box of diapers that she'd been given. Jenny wrapped her arms around herself and strode to the doors. She eyed them while she thought over her predicament. She hadn't showered in days, but that wasn't her biggest concern. Her problem was getting to a bathroom. She hadn't been to one since she and Riley had been abducted. Jenny rested her head against the cool metal door. That seemed like it had been forever ago. She had just raised a hand to knock when it opened. Jenny was so surprised that she stepped back as he stepped in.<p>

* * *

><p>Mickey walked in through the door and shut it quickly behind him before she did something dumb, like scream or try to escape.<p>

"Go sit," he told her, shutting off his phone and burying it deep within his pocket. She didn't move immediately, so Mickey dug into his other pocket and flicked open his knife in one fluid motion. Her eyes grew wide and she did as he asked, but they both knew that his heart wasn't in it. He'd just sent the ransom note the day before, but already, it had seemed like days. He hadn't been able to do anything but worry about what his uncle would do to him once he got his money.

"Baby okay?" he asked, motioning to it with his knife. Noticing the way she flinched, he closed it up and tucked it away.

"She's fine," the woman told him, crossing her arms over her body.

"Good." He was already going to hell for doing this, but he'd never forgive himself if the baby died. He couldn't hurt a baby. Mickey went back to the door and retrieved the bag he'd brought in with him. He found their trash bag and picked it up, leaving them with a few more diapers and wipes. As he turned to go, she called out to him.

"Wait!" She sounded like she wanted to say his name, but she didn't know what it was. Instead of saying anything, Mickey turned around and looked at the ground, unable to meet her eyes.

"What?"

"Why are you doing this? What did...What did we do? Did Kevin...?" He rubbed at his face, hard, and didn't respond. Kevin. That was his name, the one whose family he had taken by mistake. He shook his head. He was such a screwup. He turned to go again, and she called out once more.

"Can I...could I use the bathroom?"

"There look like there's a bathroom in here?" he replied without facing her. Mickey took the key from his pocket and stuck it in the door. He had just turned the knob when she came up behind him, soundlessly. Before he knew it, he was on the floor, and she was wrestling with his key. He didn't want to hurt her, but he knew that she wasn't gonna run out on her kid or something like that, so he just pulled himself up and dragged her away. She lunged at him again, and Mickey ducked.

"Lady! Calm down!" he yelled. Fuck keeping quiet, he was trying not to get himself killed _before_ he got his uncle what he wanted. Now the baby started crying. Giving her one good shove, Mickey shouldered his way out, grabbing the key and locking it again. He leaned against the door, chest heaving, hand absently rubbing over the open wound on his cheek. Her nails had gotten into him good; he was bleeding pretty bad. Yanking up his hood again, he pressed one sleeve to his face while he turned on his phone. He'd missed five phone calls, and he was just receiving a sixth. He knew who it was before he even picked up.

"Hel-"

"Have you seen the news?" It was his uncle, and he was calm. Eerie calm, the kind of calm that he knew came before the shitstorm.

"No, I-"

"You don't know who you took, do you, kid?"

"No." That was the only word he'd been able to get into the conversation.

"Watch the news. Check the Internet. You kidnapped a cop's wife and kid. You're gonna go through with this ransom exchange. You tell them cops anything, and you'll be dead before you can even breathe, you got it?"

"Ye-" The call went dead, leaving Mickey standing in the middle of the parking lot, feeling like his world was falling apart.

* * *

><p>Kate Beckett scanned the report again. Somehow the news had missed this one, and she thanked God. No one really knew about it except for her and Castle. It was Thursday. There was still time for him to strike again.<p>

"Anything new?" Castle questioned, placing a cup of coffee on the desk beside her. She rubbed her forehead in exhaustion.

"Nothing. It's like he's taking his time on this one," she said.

"If it's him," Castle corrected. Kate took a break and sipped at her coffee.

"It it's him," she agreed. But they both knew how plausible the theory was. It felt personal, and it made perfect sense; Ryan had been the last detective with him before he faded into oblivion again.

"We would have seen another body by now. Unless something major has changed, it's just a copycat. That, or someone trying to frame him and distract us." For once, Castle had no outlandish theories, only news.

"The kidnappers sent Ryan a ransom note. It's happening tomorrow. There's still time-" But he cut himself off. Beckett knew what he had been about to say. _There's still time for the next two victims._


	7. Losing My Religion

_**A/N: I've been watching Dr. Horrible recently, and I love it entirely too much. Nathan Fillion is my hero! But, business: Ryan suffers a tiny medical issue, and the ransom exchange goes down. How do you think it'll turn out? And for all those who are confused about 3xk, there's another clue in this chapter. r&r and have a happy holiday! Yours 'till the wheels fall off ;)**_

"_Consider this the hint of the century. Consider this the slip that brough__t me to my knees, failed. __What if all these fantasies, come flailing around? Now I've said too much. I thought that I heard you laughing, I thought that I heard you sing, I think I thought I saw you try...But that was just a dream. That was just a dream."-R.E.M._

* * *

><p>Day broke on Friday morning, and Kevin Ryan still hadn't found sleep. He'd only dozed off once or twice since Jenny and Riley had gone missing, but it had only been for small periods of time. But now, especially now, he couldn't allow himself to be distracted. He would be meeting the kidnappers face to face in less than eight hours. He poured himself another cup of coffee and stared it down for a few moments before he picked it up and took a tentative sip. He hadn't eaten anything in the past forty-eight hours. He wasn't sure that he would be able to. He wandered into the kitchen and flipped on the lights. Esposito was watching the coverage on tv, and he shut if off when Kevin walked in.<p>

"Anything new?" Javier shook his head and scrubbed at his eyes with the palms of his hands.

"No, just the same stuff. The ransom not hasn't hit yet." Kevin took a look at his watch and set the coffee down.

"We have to go. Gates wants to see me. And so does Beckett." Javier raised an eyebrow.

"What does Beckett have to say?' Ryan shrugged without emotion and went to go find his keys.

"I don't know. Hopefully it's good news." But already, he knew that it wasn't.

* * *

><p>Beckett was waiting for them in Gates' office. Javier watched as Beckett embraced his partner.<p>

"Detective Esposito, may we have a moment?" He shook his head.

"I'm staying."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm staying," he repeated deliberately. Gates opened her mouth to respond, and Beckett jumped in.

"We're wasting time here. Can we move on, please?" Just then, Castle opened the door and took a place next to Javier. Gates rolled her eyes and sat down behind her desk.

"This has obviously become a free for all."

"Anyway," Kate cut in, "Ryan, we know the ransom exchange is in a couple of hours, so we're going to prep you for that in a couple of minutes. Castle and I didn't actually want to suggest this, because we think it's just a theory, but-"

"Detective Beckett, we're wasting everyone's time here dancing around the subject. Either you tell Detective Ryan, or I will." Kevin looked around, obviously confused.

"Tell me...tell me what?" He looked unsteady, and Javier stood ready to hold him up. Ryan waved him away.

"Well, Ryan, we got a case the other day..." Wordlessly, Kate handed him a case file. Esposito stood behind him and read over his shoulder.

"What does this have to do with-Oh, Jesus-" His knees buckled, and Javier's arm shot out to grab him. The two of them say on the floor, ignorant to everyone else.

"Hey, breathe," Esposito murmured, brushing the side of Ryan's face with the back of his hand, "Bro, breathe. It's okay." Kevin's eyes were closed, and his breath seemed to come in shallow gasps.

"3XK...it can't-I can't-" he stammered, trembling.

"Don't even think about that now. Doesn't matter, bro. Doesn't matter. Just breathe," he told his partner. Then he turned to Castle.

"Get him some water." Faintly, he heard Beckett say, "I told you we shouldn't bring this up unless we're absolutely sure. And we weren't." Gates didn't reply.

* * *

><p>When Ryan came to, he was sitting in an empty interrogation room. Esposito had been pacing in front of the door, and he turned around when he heard his partner shift.<p>

"You're awake." Kevin was confused.

"Did I-" And then it came back to him. He could feel the shortness of breath and panic return, and it was all that he could do to not lose it again.

"Javi, it can't be..." Javier shook his head and handed Kevin a package of pretzels.

"Eat these. Seriously, if you don't, Gates won't let you make the exchange. And don't even think about Tyson right now. He doesn't have Riley and Jenny." He said this with an air of certainty, one that Ryan wasn't sure he could agree with. Slowly, he pulled open the package and toyed with it before he began to eat.

"How do you know?"

"If it's him, and I don't think it is, he's only killed once-"

"There's still time-"

"Why would he have taken Riley too? That's completely out of his MO, bro." Ryan shrugged, swallowing several times before attempting to speak.

"I dunno. It's personal, maybe. Castle and I were the last ones to see him." Esposito sat down across from him and folded his hands.

"No," he said flatly, "All of this screams copycat. Especially the ransom note. It's some inexperienced jackass-"

"They're smart," Kevin said quietly, "He didn't leave any prints. He didn't even deliver the note directly; he knew that she would come over and give the note to me so that he wouldn't have to risk being seen. Face it, whoever it is, they're a genius." Esposito got up again and finger combed Ryan's hair back into place.

"Prep starts whenever you're ready."

* * *

><p>Vinny slammed the door shut and got into the front seat beside Scarface.<p>

"They in there?"

"Yeah." He put the key in the ignition and dialed AK on his burner. It only took half a ring for him to pick up.

"You ready?"

"Get set up. The cops are gonna get out there. Don't get caught," Vinny warned, steering with one hand.

"One bullet to the chest."

"Don't screw up." They disconnected, and Vinny parked around the corner from the facility.

"The kid there?" Scarface asked, straining to see the parking lot.

"No. It's almost time." Scarface handed him the key, and Vinny palmed it, driving right up to the door. He wasn't concerned about someone seeing; Scarface owned it, and the only camera they had was a dummy. Working quickly, Vinny shoved the doors open and approached the woman and the kid. She was already asleep, so knocking her out was easier than he had been expecting. She hadn't made much noise on the way out, so the kid was still sleeping when he was finished. He walked back out, opened the back door to the van, and picked up the black plastic tub with ease. He handled it as if it was full of clothes, and not two bodies. When he was back inside, he peeled open the lid and dumped the corpses. Thinking nothing of it, he grabbed the woman and folded her in, placing the box with the baby on top. He carried the lid under his arm and hefted the tub, shoving it into the van. He threw the lid in after it and closed the door. Vinny locked the storage door and climbed back into the van.

"It's time."


	8. From Now On We Are Enemies

_**A/N: FINALLY, the ransom exchange (can anyone tell me what this is actually called? Please? I know this is bad form, but I was just planning on claiming artistic license and being done with it.) ←. I'm such a bad writer. :) But anyway, there's nothing to smile about in this chapter. Ryan's just barely gotten over one shock when another comes and brings him to his knees. And as for Mickey...well, you'll just have to r&r, ladies and gentlemen. Happy Holidays! Yours 'till the wheels fall off ;)**_

"_I'm just the man on the balcony, singing, 'Nobody will ever remember me', Rejoice, rejoice and fall to your knees.."-Fall Out Boy_

* * *

><p>Mickey's thin body trembled as his stomach heaved. He shoved himself away from the kitchen sink and wiped at his mouth with trembling hands. His last encounter with the woman all that time ago had set him straight. He wasn't cut out for this; he just couldn't do it. But he was in way too deep to do anything but go through with it. Sure, he'd considered going to the cops and coming clean in exchange for immunity or whatever it was. But he had't gone through with it. Scarface would find him, and his death would be twice as painful. There was nothing to do but follow through until the very end. Mickey shuffled into the bathroom and hugged himself as he turned on the shower. He shed his clothes and studied his reflection in the mirror. He was pale. Gaunt. His eyes were nervous and sick.<p>

"Goodbye," he whispered quietly to himself. He couldn't shake the feeling that this would be the last time he would look at himself in the mirror. Mickey climbed into the shower and let his frightened tears blend with the warm water.

* * *

><p>Javier Esposito adjusted his earpiece and spoke into it as he drove.<p>

"Visual?" he asked. Half of the department was connected, and there was a chance that one of them had seen something he hadn't.

"Nothing yet," Detective Dragani replied, "We're around the corner."

"How is he?" Kate spoke over here, softly. He flicked his eyes over to his partner, who peered out of the window with an intensity that could have melted the glass. He looked extremely uncomfortable in his street clothes. He wore a bulletproof vest under his jacket, and his own gun was carefully tucked into his jeans.

"Quiet." Javier looked at the clock. Fifteen minutes to. He slowed to a stop and pulled the car into a parking lot a couple of blocks away from the meeting place. The kidnapper had said not to bring the cops, so they'd make it look like it was just Kevin. But they'd be watching. They'd make sure everything went down like it was supposed to. He got out and closed the door behind him. When he saw that Kevin hadn't gotten out yet, he walked over to his side and opened the door for him.

"You alright?"

"How can I be alright? All I can think about is 3xk, and Jenny and Riley, and whoever took them...I mean...whoever took them, I'm gonna see him right now. What the hell am I supposed to do?" he hiccuped, clearly panicking. Esposito put his hand on Ryan's knee so that he would focus. He did.

"Just do what we agreed on. Know that we have your back. You can do this, bro. You know you can."

* * *

><p>Detective Kevin Ryan walked with his head down and one hand in his pocket. In the other he carried the duffel bag, filled with the department's money. It was all that he could do to keep walking.<p>

"You see anything?" That was Beckett. He shook his head before he realized that she couldn't see him over the com and spoke instead.

"No." But then he rounded the corner and saw him. Ryan stopped so suddenly that he nearly tripped.

"I...I see him."

"Where?"

"He's...s-sitting on the ground on the right hand corner-"

"Got the visual," Esposito announced. Everyone else murmured their assent moments later.

"Go in there. Be careful." He didn't reply.

* * *

><p>Mickey saw the cop coming from where he sat. He got up and brushed himself off in wait. Truth was, there was nothing that he would rather do than simply run away, but he couldn't. Not before he tried to atone for his sins. He waited until they were only about three feet apart. He looked like he wanted to tear him apart with his bare hands, and Mickey couldn't really say that he blamed him. He spoke first.<p>

"You got what I asked for?" But his voice faltered, and he knew that he sounded like a little kid playing cops and robbers at recess.

"I have..what you asked for. I want proof," the cop demanded through clenched teeth. Mickey dug out his cell phone and showed him a picture he'd taken the last time he'd seen them. The cop reached for it, but Mickey grabbed it back.

"Not until I get my money." The officer dropped his bag beside him and reached for his pocket. Mickey figured that he was going to die, whether it was by this cop or one of his uncle's boys. He didn't have long.

"Listen to me-"

"No, listen to me," Mickey hissed over him, "They're going to kill me. I need to tell you something first." The cop's face went blank, and he shook his head.

"What?"

"Look, I don't have a lot of time, alright? Just listen to me before-Just listen. He made me do it. I didn't wanna at first, but he made me do it. I screwed it up, it wasn't supposed to be you, got it? I got the wrong people. I-" The cop grabbed him and shook him by the shoulders. Mickey couldn't breathe. He knew the bullet was coming.

"Names. Places. Something. Come with me, we can get you help-"

"No!" Mickey sobbed, pulling away, "You can't help! Look, I-'m k-keeping...I'm keeping them at Connoli's Storage Center. The abandoned one. Number 131. Just-" And then he heard the shot. Before he knew it, he'd slumped forward into the cop's arms. And then he was gone.

* * *

><p>There was frenzy as the afternoon suddenly exploded. Money forgotten, Ryan dropped to his knees as his cop instincts kicked in. He checked for a pulse and pressed down over the wound with both hands.<p>

"Kid? Hey, listen to me. Stay with me, okay?" His voice was terribly hoarse in his own ears. It suddenly didn't matter that he was responsible (well, in part) for the kidnapping of his family. He was still a human life, and it was slipping away like the blood through his fingers. He'd taken an oath. To serve and protect. And right now, he had failed at both. The kid's eyelids fluttered closed, and Ryan knew that he was gone. He was surrounded in moments. EMTs pulled him away from the body, and Esposito yanked him to his feet.

"Who shot him?" Kevin asked, dazed, unaware that he was covered in the blood of the only person that could help him. Ryan watched as the body was covered until Javier put a hand over his eyes.

"Come on. We gotta get you cleaned up, bro." He looked down at his hands and suddenly remembered. This was his fault. All sound stopped as Ryan twisted around to look at the body. He'd caused this. He felt the tears coming. To serve and protect.


	9. Ghost

_**A/N: I'm behind on my outline, so bear with me. My pacing might be a little screwed up because parts of this chapter were supposed to be in the last one, but I kinda forgot? Excitement of Christmas and all that. Did everyone have a good holiday? I start driving lessons tomorrow..I'm literally going to be behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. Stay in your houses, everyone. But business: a startling realization, a shocking discovery, and finally, a way for the team to get in on this case. r&r if you need a new episode. Because I know I do. Yours 'till the wheels fall off ;)**_

"_And who gave you the right to scare my family? And who gave you the right to shake my baby, she needs me. And who gave you the right to shake my family tree? You put a knife in my back, shot an arrow in me, tell me, are you the ghost of jealousy?"-Michael Jackson_

* * *

><p>Though watching as someone was struck down was nothing new to Castle, he still looked distressed. Beckett was too busy watching the action on the screen to notice. Ryan was a complete mess, and her heart broke for him. All of this was too much for him to bear alone.<p>

"Who fired?" she demanded suddenly, mind racing. No one had instructed their sniper to shoot.

"Ross, did you shoot the suspect?" Kate asked over the com. Ross radioed back instantly.

"No, no one gave the signal-"

"The shooter's still here!" Castle and Beckett concurred together.

"All units, we're looking for the shooter. Someone else shot the vic-" Castle burst out of the can and took off running. Maybe if he was lucky, he'd catch a glimpse of something...But there was nothing. And judging from the way that the rest of the kidnapping had gone, he wouldn't find him. They were some sort of experts. His eyes found the body, which still lay, covered, in the middle of the lot. If they were professionals, then why send a kid? Kate jogged up beside him.

"Anything?"

"No, I couldn't.." But his mind was elsewhere.

"Kate, do you have other people looking for the shooter?"

"Everyone else who's here. Why?" Castle pointed to the body without a word. Then he spoke.

"This is officially a homicide. We're in."

* * *

><p>Ryan had almost dozed off from exhaustion when he remembered what the kid had said to him before he'd been shot.<p>

"Javi!" he yelled desperately, not caring who heard. There were more important things to worry about than his pride. His partner was by his side in an instant.

"You okay?" Kevin's voice was unsteady as he struggled to recite what he'd heard.

"He..He told me where he was keeping them..." And then the full weight of what he was saying hit him, and he jumped up and seized his partner by the shoulders.

"He told me where he was keeping them!" Javier didn't question, only shoved Ryan into the car and climbed in beside him, radioing for backup and starting the engine. Ryan was going to see his family again. But even then he knew that it was all too easy.

* * *

><p>Kevin and Javier were three paces in front of everyone else when they stopped the car at the storage unit. They hadn't encountered anyone upon arriving, but they still walked, in formation, to the storage locker in particular. Just in case.<p>

"We don't have a key," an officer pointed out. Esposito took one look at the lock and shot it off with his glock. Normally, it would have been funny. But there was too much pent up, nervous energy for anyone to do anything but wait for further instruction. Javier looked to his partner, who bit his lip and stared intently at his shoe.

"I have to see." Both of them had seen enough of these things go down, and they knew that the odds of seeing Jenny and Riley were slim to none. And that was assuming that they actually were inside.

"You wanna go first? Or do you want me to look and then tell you?" Esposito asked, weapon still drawn and aimed at the door. Ryan was torn between wanting to be the first to see, and not wanting to know what was inside. But he had to be strong. He had to be.

"I'll go first."

* * *

><p>Beckett and Castle stood side by side as they waited for Gates to arrive. She'd radioed in and announced that she was on her way, no one touch anything.<p>

"This is ridiculous," Kate growled, crossing her arms. A few news stations were setting up across the lot, aiming their cameras at the crime scene. They'd set up a barricade, but that hadn't stopped them from calling out questions that Beckett pointedly ignored. Finally, a black car pulled soundlessly up beside them, and Gates alighted from the vehicle.

"Beckett," she said coolly, by way of greeting, "Castle," she added at the last moment, undoubtedly done purposely. He offered a tight lipped smile in return and studied the scene while Kate got Gates up to speed. His mind was thinking like a mystery writer's not a cop's, and it wasn't helping. Not this time. He tried to see the scene like Kate would. The kidnappers had obviously sent this kid to do their dirty work for them, because he contrasted terribly with the professionalism of his subsequent murder. He considered the notes. Those made it seem personal. _Let The Games Begin. _But the following letter, the ransom note, was pretty generic. It was businesslike, and not in any way personal. Richard was confused by the facts of this case, and he was pretty sure that it wasn't just him. Perhaps there'd been confusion by the kidnappers as well. He hadn't heard anything from the van; there was no sound. And Esposito had taken Ryan and half of the force to a storage shed to follow up on something, he hadn't heard exactly what when Javier had hollered it out of his window. Whatever it was, though, it seemed pretty important. Maybe when they all met back up at the precinct-

"Castle, let's go. We're in."

* * *

><p>With shaking hands, Kevin Ryan tossed away the destroyed lock and pushed open the door. And then he closed his eyes. He didn't know what to expect, and he wasn't quite sure that he was ready to look just yet. He knew that everyone else was behind him, and every single one of them had his back. But that did little to comfort him. All that he could think about was noise. If they were alive, wouldn't they have made some sort of noise? Yelling, screaming, crying, calling out for help? Wouldn't that be the normal human response? <em>Why weren't they making any noise? <em>The answer, of course, was simple. But Ryan didn't want to even suggest it to himself. But he knew that he had to open his eyes, and he also knew in his heart of hearts that they were dead. For that very reason, he wasn't surprised when he finally forced himself to look. Javier sidled up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Bro..." Kevin was motionless.

* * *

><p>Scarface sat in the back room of Alfonzo's, waiting for Vinny and AK to come back with some sort of news. But as he flipped from station to station, they all seemed to say the same thing: a kid involved with the kidnapping of a cop's family had been murdered during the drop. He unmuted the volume and listened.<p>

"...no leads or suspects at the moment. The victim has not been identified yet-" Good. He muted it once again and checked his watch. They had five minutes left before he-

"Boss," Vinny said, striding in, AK at his heels.

"What'd you do with the baby?" he demanded. Vinny pulled up a chair and sat back, feet up on the table.

"Dropped her with JoJo. She's gonna keep her 'till this shit blows over." Scarface gave him a nod of approval. AK still stood by the door, waiting to be told what to do.

"You kill him?"

"Yeah, straight through the heart like you said. Left real fast, too."

"Good. They're gonna figure out who he is in the next coupla days. We're gonna leave now and drop 'em off." Vinny got back up again and pulled his keys out of his pocket.

* * *

><p>Ryan forced himself to walk all of the way into the storage unit. He dropped to his knees beside the bodies.<p>

"Javier," he whispered as the room seemed to spin. Javier knelt beside him again, just as he had before in the precinct.

"Got you," he assured his partner. But Javier's assurance did nothing to calm him. He was near tears all over again.

"It's not them," he murmured, closing his eyes.


	10. GINASFS

_**A/N: With this song, I managed to pick all of the parts I liked and smush them together..so now they don't rhyme at all. Brilliant on my part. But anyway, I managed to survive driving lessons thus far. But I'm still scared to death. If there was any confusion in the last chapter, I'm gonna clear it up right here, right now. Things are getting intense. Ryan's having a rough go of it. r&r and pray I don't die while driving. Yours 'till the wheels fall off ;)**_

"_I've already given up on myself twice, third time is the charm, third time is the charm...And I've traced your shadows on the wall, now I kiss them whenever I'm down...Things aren't the same anymore, some nights it gets so bad that I almost pick up the phone.."-Fall Out Boy_

* * *

><p>Lanie Parish marked one last thing on her chart and then sat it down beside the body of her two latest murder vics. She'd called for Ryan to come down, which meant that Javi would be, too. She smiled to herself. Maybe they could try to make it work again. They hadn't had alone time for a couple of weeks now. And as Beckett and Castle burst into the room behind the other two detectives, she knew that she wasn't going to get any now. She rolled her eyes and got back up to greet them. She embraced Kevin, knowing how hard all of this must have been on him. She kissed him on the cheek and searched his crystal blue eyes with her own smooth, dark ones. He smiled grimly at the floor, avoiding her gaze. Lanie turned back to everyone else in the room.<p>

"You get an I.D on the vics yet?" Esposito demanded. Lanie gave him the eye until Javier was forced to look elsewhere. She caught a hint of a smile on Beckett and Castle's faces.

"Like I was _going_ to say, I got a positive I.D on all three vics. First, Kevin, honey, I can tell you that it's not 3XK. Today is officially over seven days from the time the first vic showed up. Both women were strangled by a green and white rope, but I took a closer look at each body. The first blond Beckett brought in here a few days ago looks like she could have been one of his victims, but she isn't. Because..." here Lanie went to fetch her folder on the victim, "Because the strangulation marks were too low on the neck. And the pressure used on the neck was entirely too heavy to be 3XK. This was done by a much heavier, sloppier copycat."

"And the blond from two days ago?" Beckett asked, walking around the table to take a closer look.

"Still strangled with a green and white rope, but there's hesitation here and here," she pointed to the bruises on the dead woman's skin, "But then here there's an explosion, almost, of force."

"Like someone else got tired of waiting and did the job himself," Castle commented quietly.

"Right. Now I have your on the vics. This took a while, but the older male vic is Joseph Coppola, age 35. Cause of death was a bullet to the back of the head.'

"Execution style," Javier said. Lanie moved on.

"The bullet model and the gun it was fired from is right here," she pointed to her file and slid it across the table, "The woman is Alexandria Coppola, his wife, age 32. Autopsy showed that they were healthy, they ate right, and they didn't drink. I'm not sure how the hell they got mixed up in this mess, but they died too soon."

"The kid?" Ryan prodded gently. Lanie had heard about how the drop had gone. She tried to be careful with this one.

"The kid's name was Mickey DiFrozo. He was 19, almost twenty. His autopsy shows that he was way to skinny for his age, and I discovered some bruising and scars about the body, like on the knuckles and upper and lower arms."

"What are you thinking?" Beckett questioned, already knowing the answer.

"Either this kid got into a lot of fights, or the abuse was coming from home." Lanie hesitated before she continued.

"Autopsy also revealed that the bullet that killed him...it was a cop killer."

* * *

><p>Beckett taped the autopsy photos of Mickey, Joseph, and Alexandria up on the white board.<p>

"We need to find a link," Beckett announced, turning back to face the team. Castle was looking over her case files, and Ryan and Esposito were whispering about something. Kate turned back to the board and peered at Micket's face. The poor kid was only nineteen when he died. She closed her eyes.

"We need to find out who 'they' are," Castle said lowly, putting a hand on her shoulder. She started suddenly and then looked at him.

"Who?"

"The 'they' Ryan said Mickey was talking about before he died? He said that they made him do it, and that he got the wrong people."

"Oh my God," Ryan murmured, just loud enough to be heard.

"Find something?" Kate asked, striding over, Castle in tow. Ryan couldn't speak, so Javier did it for him.

"Coppola's family. His whole family..." He gestured to the screen so that everyone could see. Kate could see why Ryan had been in shock. There was Joseph and Alexandria...and a little girl.

"The two of them-" Ryan began. Esposito nodded grimly.

"They could be mistaken for Jenny and Riley."

* * *

><p>Ryan took a gentle pull at the bottle by in his passenger's seat and turned on the car before Javier could notice that he was missing. Esposito had gone to get them some food, promising that he would be back in a couple of seconds. But being alone was just too much for Kevin to bear alone at the moment, and he had to take his leave. He turned on his lights and started down the street. Every now and then, his gaze flickered to the bottle beside him. He picked it up every single time. He hadn't wanted to go this route. Driving around, wasted, not knowing what was happening. Jenny wouldn't have liked that. Hell, Jenny didn't like it at all when he drank. He studied the bottle one last time, and then he seized it and rolled down the window, tossing it out before he could regret it. He floored the gas peddle and drove with the window down, not hearing the roar of the engine, not feeling the freezing chill of the wind, not thinking about what would happen if he crashed...He stopped suddenly and banged both fists on the wheel. He thanked God through his silent tears that no one else was out tonight. He could have killed himself, or worse...someone else. Someone innocent. A woman walking a dog. A little girl walking home. His thoughts shifted to his missing family.<p>

"Why?" he questioned, trying to get a handle on his breathing.

"Why them? They were...they were innocent. If you wanted to get back at me, why not just take me?" But he knew why. Taking them was more heart wrenching than just killing him. It might hurt for a moment, sure, but then he'd be dead, and Jenny and Riley would have to live with that. With not knowing what had gone wrong. But since they were gone...well, the roles were reversed. But the only thing he felt was guilt. It didn't matter that Mickey had told him that it wasn't supposed to be them, that it had been a mistake. It didn't matter. Because fate was fate, and she always got her way.

* * *

><p>Esposito dialed his partner's number again, uttering a long string of curses when he failed to pick up. He was back at Kevin's house, but Ryan wasn't there. The uniforms out front were useless, and he hadn't wasted any time in telling them so. What were they there for if they couldn't even make sure that he didn't leave the house? Locking the door behind him, Javier strode out toward his car and climbed in. He wouldn't call anyone yet. He wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but he wanted to know before he said anything.<p>

* * *

><p>Ryan let his phone go to voicemail for the fifth time. He knew that Esposito was the one calling. But Kevin didn't feel much like talking. He'd pulled over and sat with his head in his hands for some amount of time. Until the phone started ringing. He toyed with the unlock pattern before he finally entered it correctly. His finger hovered over the call button. He knew that it would destroy him, but at the same time, he needed it. He did.<p>

_"Hi, you've reached Jenny Ryan. Sorry I didn't pick up, but you can leave a message and I promise I'll call you back ASAP!" _They'd found her phone. It had been under the couch. It had probably dropped during...during the struggle. He bit his lip and hung up. And then he dialed again.

_"Hi, you've reached Jenny Ryan..."_


	11. Panic Song

_**A/N: I've been on vacation in Hersey since Thursday. I. LOVE. CHOCOLATE. I need to stop eating it...But I can't. (I just bought two 36 pack boxes of Reeses.) Plans for New Years? Can't believe it's gonna be 2012. Insanity. And can I just say, I adore hater anons. If you don't like something, please say it to my face and don't comment anonymously. In case you're still reading, sweetheart, him drinking once does not mean that he's become an alcoholic. It just means that he had a weak moment and tried to solve things with alcohol. Thanks :) Business: There's a lot going on here, so pay attention. It's been two days since Ryan's driving episode, so keep that in mind. The team has discovered some things, so don't get confused. r&r for the 'Till Death promo on Monday! Yours 'till the wheels fall off ;)**_

"_Ready for a cheap escape, on the brink of self destruction. Widespread panic, broken glass inside my head. Bleeding down these thoughts of anguish... mass confusion.."-Green Day_

* * *

><p>Beckett studied the white board again, now that they seemed to have more information. But the majority of it was useless information. There was nothing on the wife, and Joseph was clean. He worked at a used car dealership about fifteen minutes from his house. They were waiting on a warrant to check out the house.<p>

"It should've been here yesterday," Kate grumbled. She couldn't understand why everyone seemed to be dragging their feet on this. The sooner they figured out how these people were connected, the sooner they would find Jenny and Riley. They hoped.

"What do you have to do with any of this?" she asked herself, stepping closer to Mickey's picture. She couldn't understand. Castle had been right. They needed to focus on who 'they' were. Then maybe things would start coming together. Mickey hadn't been squeaky clean; not exactly. He had a record. He'd been picked up for a couple of fights, stealing, vandalism, stuff like that. Petty crimes. But she couldn't get why he was up here. The kid lived in Jersey with his dad. His mom died when he was ten, and he didn't have any siblings. Kate had called for the father to come up, but he hadn't been able to make it until today. Castle appeared soundlessly and handed her a cup of coffee. She accepted it without words and took a sip. A lot of things were about to happen at once.

* * *

><p>"..check the house for any signs of foul play, you know the deal," Kate told Javier over the phone as he drove to the Coppola's house, "Still nothing on the baby." Esposito handed the phone to Ryan and made a sharp turn, grumbling about the crappy directions Castle had dictated before he and Kevin had set out.<p>

"What about the family?" Ryan asked suddenly. Javier threw a glance over at his partner. He knew that Beckett didn't want him there for the interrogation for a reason. He wouldn't be able to control himself. It wasn't that Ryan wasn't strong, it was just that there was too much going on in his life right now for him to think clearly. Sure enough, there was a pause before she spoke again.

"Michael DiFrozo is sitting in interrogation." Kevin's mouth fell open.

"I need to be there."

"You don't."

"Beckett-"

"Ryan, listen to me. You do _not._ Castle and I can take care of this. You can watch the tape when you get back, but right now you need to go with Esposito and search the house so that we can get a link on this thing, understand?" He still looked like he wanted to argue, but finally he just nodded.

"Fine."

"Good." She disconnected, and Kevin flipped the phone over and over in his hands so that he wouldn't have to say anything. But Javier wasn't going to let him get off that easily. He eyed his partner and made another turn. They still had another five minutes or so until they got there.

"Bro, we gotta talk about-"

"No," Ryan said flatly. Javier suppressed a groan and tried again.

"Kevin, you know that what you did was reckless."

"Javi, we're not having this conversation. Not now, not ever." Just then, the house slipped into view. Javier gritted his teeth. Ryan had gotten lucky. But that didn't mean that he was going to give up just yet.

* * *

><p>"Mr. DiFrozo, please sit down," Beckett said, striding into the room after Castle. They took their places across from his vacated seat. He hesitated a moment before he allowed himself to take the seat.<p>

"We're sorry for your loss," Kate told him, making eye contact before she glanced down to look at her papers. Castle was getting a read on Michael. He could see the resemblance between father and son. They had the same eyes and strong nose. Their hair was the same dark shade, though while Mickey's was long and shaggy, his father's was short and gelled carefully into place. Michael was distraught, he could see it in the way that he sat with his eyes downcast.

"As you know, your son was...murdered here in New York. You live in New Jersey, is that correct?" Kate asked, beginning the interview. Michael nodded.

"Yes, we...I live in Columbus."

"Do you have any idea what he could have been doing here in New York?" Castle asked him. That had been bugging him since the beginning. Michael drew a shuddering breath and chose to remain silent.

"Mr. DiFrozo," Beckett prodded gently. He didn't look up.

"You've seen Mickey's record." This was a statement, not a question. They nodded.

"Then you know. He was always a...troubled kid. But after his mom died, he really lost it. I put up with it for a while because I figured it was his way of coping with it. But after he got arrested so many times, I told him that he was either going to shape up, or he could get the hell out of my house," he gave a bitter chuckle, "Guess which one he chose?" Kate kept her head down as she finished writing her notes.

"But why here?" Castle insisted, "Do you have family in New York?" Mr. DiFrozo blanched, and they knew that they'd hit a nerve.

"I don't speak about my family, Mr. Castle," he told them firmly.

* * *

><p>Ryan drummed his fingers against his leg impatiently, excited to watch the interview tape. He'd been distracted during the entire house search. It had been just as fruitless as he'd excepted. The house was turned inside out, but the only prints were those belonging to the Coppolas. Esposito had shot him some theory about them leaving in a hurry, and someone else searching the house after they'd left, but he hadn't been paying attention. All that he could think about was getting back to the 12th and seeing Mickey's dad. Surely they'd gotten somewhere with him. They had to. Kevin barely waited for the car to stop before he leaped out and hustled to the interrogation room. He knew that his partner had to go put in for phone records and credit car statements, so he didn't worry about being followed. His heart sank as he reached the rooms, though. They were all empty. He'd missed Mickey's father. Beckett and Castle were reviewing the tape when he found them. They looked up in unison.<p>

"You guys finished searching the house-"

"Rewind the tape. Let me see it from the beginning," Ryan said over her. He hadn't meant to be rude, but it was all that he had right now. Beckett cocked her head to the side and studied him.

"Ryan, are you okay?" He sighed.

"I'm fine." Castle handed him the remote.

* * *

><p>Michael DiFrozo walked out of the precinct with his head down. They had advised him to stay in New York in case they had any other questions for him later on. But he had to get home; surely they would understand. He very seriously considered going to visit his brother. This had him written all over it. Even since they were kids, he could never do his dirty work himself. Paolo was a coward, through and through. Michael bit his lip and struggled to find his train back home. His son was gone. And his brother was to blame.<p> 


	12. 1,000 Oceans

**_A/N: Ugh, back to school tomorrow. Not look ing forward to it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there a promo for 'Till Death today? Please say yes. (I NEED NEW EPISODES OF CASTLE.) Business: The dream team's going to get into..trouble. And Gates is _not _about to have it. Suspension hangs in the air, but for who? R&R and happy reading. Yours 'till the wheels fall off ;)_**

"_Empty streets, I follow every breath into the night. The wind so cold, the sun is frozen, the world has lost its light. I carry your picture deep in me, back to you, over 1000 seas..Don't you lose your trust and your belief, just trust me.."-Tokio Hotel_

* * *

><p>Ryan knew that what he was about to do was terribly wrong, but he just couldn't stop himself. He knew that there was something off about Michael DiFrozo, he just didn't know what. Beckett had refused to bring him back in without probable cause, and it was obvious that she wasn't going to budge until she got some. So he would just speed the process along. No harm, no foul...Unless DiFrozo was home, in which case he risked losing his badge. What he was about to do was less than ethical, but again, Michael was turning into the his only hope here. The drive to Jersey hadn't taken quite as long as he'd thought, so he wasn't surprised to see DiFrozo's car still in the drive. He thought about what he was doing; really considered it...and then he climbed out of his car. There was no turning back now. He gripped the small bundle of papers in his fist and locked the door behind him. Beckett wanted a lead? She was going to get one.<p>

* * *

><p>Esposito slammed his car door shut violently and threw his phone into his passenger seat. His <em>empty<em> passenger seat. When he had woken up that morning, Kevin had been missing. Again. Javier was already tired of it. He didn't feel like driving all over looking for his partner again when they actually had work to do back at the precinct. As had become Ryan's custom, he didn't pick up his phone each time Esposito called to ask where he was. But that was no matter, because as long as his phone was on, he could get a GPS track on it. Fifteen minutes and a cup of coffee later, Javier had an address. He pulled it up on his phone and growled. Kevin was in New Jersey. At Michael DiFrozo's house.

* * *

><p>Ryan noticed that Mr. DiFrozo looked taken aback when he saw who was standing at his front door. But then he paid it no mind and walked in without invitation.<p>

"I'm sorry, who are-"

"Detective Kevin Ryan," he said, stopping to watch as recognition dawned on his face.

"You tried to save my son." Kevin swallowed. He hadn't exactly been expecting that. He looked down at the ground and regained his composure.

"I watched the interrogation between you and Detective Beckett yesterday. What aren't you saying?" Ryan asked bluntly. He wasn't going to beat around the bush. Because the information he clutched in his hand rattled him. He had to hear Michael say it in his own words. Then it would hit home. Then it would become real.

* * *

><p>"Detective, I'm going to ask you to leave my home before I call your captain," Michael said lowly, reaching into his pocket for his cell. He could tell that the detective wasn't planning on going anywhere until he got what he came for. Somehow, Michael already knew what it was.<p>

"No, Mr. DiFrozo, you're going to tell me what I need to know, or you are going to be held responsible for whatever happens to my family. I'm going to give you one last chance to tell me what you know, or I'll say it for you." Michael remembered him. Not only had he saved his son's life, but he was just as tied up in this mess as Mickey had been. He closed his eyes. The last thing he'd said to his son was, "Get the hell out of my fucking house, and don't come back until you've decided to stop being a goddamn screwup!" The last thing he'd ever said. And now his son was dead, his brother was responsible, and this cop was in his house, prying where he had no business prying. He opened his eyes again. Paolo had managed to drag him into his problems all over again.

* * *

><p>When DiFrozo didn't start speaking, Ryan strode over to the kitchen table and began to lay out the papers that he had brought with him. The idle threat about calling Gates had gone right over his head. He knew that she would find out about this anyway, so it really didn't matter who made the call. He heard Michael's footsteps and began speaking.<p>

"Something about you didn't sit right with me. I couldn't tell what it was, so I did some research," Ryan began, "Did you know, that even with a name change, your original documents are still in the system, Mr. Donnie Cicio?" He flipped over the birth certificate and slid it across the table. Michael didn't even look at it.

"Don't you want to know where I got it?" He didn't reply, so Kevin went on.

"No? Fine. How about where I got these charming pictures of you and your brother Paolo. Or Scarface, whichever you prefer." Ryan knew that he was pushing him to the breaking point, and he felt terrible for it. But he had to do this. He needed probable cause to go after Scarface. If he could get DiFrozo to give a statement...Combined with what Mickey had said, Kevin could go after Paolo and get Jenny and Riley back. Of course, it would be a long shot, going after the mob...But at least he would know who had them and why.

"Why are you doing this?" Michael demanded, hushed, flipping over the photographs Ryan had printed at the 12th the night before.

"Because I want my family back," he said honestly. DiFrozo turned on his heel and stormed away from the table.

"And drudging up my old family memories is going to help you do that? Look, my brother is a bad man. I believe you already know that. He is a very bad, very dangerous man. I can honestly tell you that I haven't spoken to him in years. You can see why I changed my name. I do not want to be associated with him and the things he's done in any way. I'm sorry about your family, detective, but I've told you everything I know. Mickey...he was the last thing I had, the only thing I could be proud of, even when he screwed up. But now Paolo's taken him away from me. As much as I want to help you, I can't. Now please..." he heaved a sigh, and Ryan noticed how much older he looked, "Please, leave."

* * *

><p>Esposito was just getting out of his car when Ryan was getting back into his. Their eyes locked, and Kevin lunged to get the key in the ignition. But Javier was faster, and he yanked open the door and pulled his partner out with one hand. Letting his feet touch the ground again, he slammed him into the car, not caring who saw.<p>

"What the hell are you doing here, bro?" he demanded. He could understand (to a certain point) what Kevin was going through, but he was beginning to lose touch. He was risking everything, coming here without probable cause. It could go one of two ways: they would return to New York, and Gates would never hear of it, or DiFrozo would call, and the two of them would be suspended before they had even gotten back.

"Javi, let go!" Ryan begged, shoving away. Finally, against his better judgement, he did, watching as his partner fixed himself.

"You still didn't answer me."

"I needed to get information," Kevin said weakly. Esposito arched an eyebrow.

"There's no probable cause, bro. If he calls Gates, you're done." Ryan sighed and rubbed his tired eyes.

"I know, bro, it's just...Now he's my only hope, you know? No one else knows anything." Javier glanced over at the house.

"You get anything at least?" His partner offered him a small smile.

"Yeah."

* * *

><p>Captain Gates hung up her phone and sent for Kate Beckett. She'd just received a particularly troubling phone call from Mr. DiFrozo. It seemed that one of her detectives had found his way down to New Jersey. She rubbed her eyes. She didn't want to do this, but her hands were tied. Beckett entered, and Castle wasn't too far behind.<p>

"Detective Beckett, are you aware of where Ryan and Esposito are?" Kate looked confused, but she quickly pulled it together so that she could start damage control.

"I believe they're out pursuing a lead," she said confidently. Gates knew that she was covering for them.

"Well I just received a phone call from Mr. DiFrozo, and it seems that Ryan took it upon himself to drive to Jersey and interrogate him." Beckett rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"I don't know anything about that. But I'm sure that he had a-" Gates held up a hand.

"Save it, detective. Because it seems that you cannot keep a handle on your team, I'll do it for you. Go get Esposito and Ryan, and send them here."


	13. Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me

_**A/N: I'm really sorry I'm so late with this! My mom and I are all caught up in and finding out where we came from and everything. So far we've got Irish, British, and Hispanic ancestors. It's really kinda cool. But business: Gates drops a bomb on Espo and Ry, and Beckett and Castle do some research with startling results. R&R people! Yours 'till the wheels fall off ;)**_

"_I can't light no more of your darkness, all my pictures seem to fade to black and white. I'm growing tired and time stands still before me, frozen here on the ladder of my life. Don't let the sun go down on me, although I search myself, it's always someone else I see. I'd just allow a fragment of your life to wander free...But losing everything is like the sun going down on me..."-Elton John_

* * *

><p>Ryan could tell that Beckett was pissed from the moment he walked into the precinct. Intent on saving their asses, Javier and Kevin turned on their heel and started back out.<p>

"You two. Here. _Now_." There was no argument. They refused to meet her eyes, and instead found comfort in studying the cracks in the marble. They were about to get it. _Bad. _Javier knew that the only thing worse than a pissed Beckett was a pissed Lanie.

"I can ex-"

"Save it." Ryan ducked his head again.

"Right."

"What the hell were you two thinking, going out there like that? Didn't you think that Michael was going to report it?" Beckett demanded, eyes flashing. Behind her her back, Castle was mouthing, 'shame, shame'. But the partners were in so much trouble that they didn't laugh. They couldn't.

"So Gates found out?" Esposito chanced. Beckett shot him a look that said, 'What do you think?'

"Never mind."

"Javier, Kevin, my office. Now."

* * *

><p>Gates was waiting for them in her office, arms crossed. She gestured for Castle to close the door behind them, and then she sat down. Everyone else stood instead, Beckett the only one who dared meet her gaze. A small smile escaped her. She liked the girl's attitude sometimes. But then the smile fell away. This was no time for pleasantries. This was serious.<p>

"You know why you're here," she said, addressing Kevin and Javier. They didn't respond, but the guilt on their faces was apparent.

"I got a call from Michael DiFrozo, letting me know that a Detective Ryan had showed up at his home and harassed him, and that another detective showed up after him, and they had an...altercation." Beckett's head whipped up, and she glared at the two of them. Gates had purposely left that part out. Again, the boys didn't respond.

"Is this true?' Ryan spoke up first.

"Um, y-yes, sir." Esposito met her eyes and nodded once in confirmation.

"What the _hell _possessed you to do that?" Gates snapped, banging on the table with one hand. Everyone in the room flinched. Finally, Ryan spoke.

"I was watching the interrogation on tape, and something about him didn't sit right with me. Like he wasn't telling the truth. So I dug up some old records and found out that his brother is Paolo Cicio-"

"Cicio? _Paolo _Cicio? Scarface?" Gates blinked. She certainly hadn't seen that coming. This put a whole new spin on the entire investigation. Kevin looked somewhat triumphant, but she knew that the expression wouldn't last.

"Castle, Beckett, go get a start on the mob connections, and make sure that the press does not get a single word of this. _Go_," she urged, seeing that neither had bothered moving.

"With all due respect, sir-" Beckett began, faltering when Gates gave her the hand.

"Now is not the time, detective. Go." Beckett hung around a moment longer before starting for the door. Castle offered Ryan a sympathetic pat on the shoulder and followed suit. There was silence as the three of them remained.

* * *

><p>"You both realize that what you did was thoughtless and stupid, correct?"<p>

"Yes sir," the pair said in unison, shame apparent in their voices.

"Actually, if I may, I would like to say that going down to Jersey was my idea, and I take sole responsibility for this careless infraction of the rules. Javier followed me down because he was able to get a GPS track on my cell phone," Kevin offered tentatively, knowing that the both of them were at serious risk of losing their badges. He wanted to do some damage control, but he could already tell that he was too late.

"I know you meant well, but I cannot allow you to get away with this. I have no choice. Detective Ryan, gun and shield on the desk, please. You are suspended until further notice." Kevin had known that it was coming, but this knowledge had done little to soften the blow. He felt each and every beat of his heart as he stepped forward and surrendered what Gates had asked for. No one spoke- there was only muffled silence. And then he turned to go, feeling everything that he had lost. Jenny, Riley, his faith in humanity, in himself..And now his job, his only connection to the inside. Surely by now he had paid his due.

* * *

><p>Javier watched as his partner turned to go and finally verbalized what he had been feeling.<p>

"I know that he wasn't exactly conventional, but Ryan got the information that we need to get the ball rolling on this case. We can bring DiFrozo back in if we need to, and get the information legally if that's what you want. But all that Ryan was doing was getting the evidence we needed. I have no doubt that he knew what would happen if he was found out, and he did it anyway. For the sake of the case. And if that doesn't make him one hell of a cop, then I don't know what does." Kevin had stopped, but he hadn't turned around. Gates looked unmoved.

"A moving speech, detective, but as I said, I have no choice-"

"You have a choice, you always have a ch-"

"Javi, let it go. I'll be fine," Ryan deadpanned, finally turning around to watch them both. Esposito paid him no mind.

"I'm leaving," he announced, turning his back on her and walking to the door.

"Esposito, if you leave right now, I'll suspend you as well!" Gates called out after him. Javier grabbed his partner and pulled him out of her office behind him.

"Then I guess I'm suspended," he said loudly, slamming her door shut. He removed his badge and gun and shoved them into Beckett's hands.

"Give these to Gates." And then he walked out of the twelfth with his partner by his side.


	14. Leave Out All The Rest

_**A/N: It's. So. Cold. I swear, it should be illegal. I'm just angry because it's cold for no good reason. I could understand if there was snow or something, but no. But enough ranting. Sorry I posted this so late, I just got back from work! This is a terrible chapter. (I'm probably not supposed to tell you this, but I'm not gonna lie.) I have midterms coming up soon, so please allow me a couple of 'off' chapters, if you would. Business: Finally, we return to Jenny and Riley, and we're heading back to Scarface's crew. Someone's making dangerous plans...r&r if you're excited for new episodes on Monday! FINALLY! Yours 'till the wheels fall off ;)**_

"_I dreamed I was missing, you were so scared. But no one would listen, cause no one else cared. When my time comes, forget the wrong that I've done, help me leave behind some reasons to be missed. And don't resent me when you're feeling empty, keep me in your memory, leave out all the rest."-Linkin Park_

* * *

><p>Jenny Ryan cradled her daughter against her chest and tried to stay in control of her mind. She didn't know how long it had been; here, there was no light, only darkness. Always darkness. Except for when someone came to deliver food, or take away Riley's diapers. And every time that the door opened, Jenny shivered against the clean air and meekly accepted whatever was given to her. She'd given up hope that they would be found. It had been too long; Ryan knew the statistics. They should have been dead by now, but they weren't. They were very much alive. And suffering. Jenny asked herself if Kevin had given up, if someone was still searching for them.<p>

"Is anyone coming?" she asked herself aloud, softly. Her only answer was the distant roar of the engine. As the car shifted, they were jolted. Riley woke up, and Jenny smoothed her hair back. She didn't know where they were going, but her hopes of being found drifted away with the miles they drove.

* * *

><p>AK sat in the cab of the truck beside Vinny. They drove in silence to Jersey. They were finally dropping the cop's family off at Michael DiFrozo's. He didn't know it yet, but he was gonna be watching them until Scarface said otherwise. It shouldn't take long.<p>

"What happens if DiFrozo says no?" AK asked suddenly, breaking the silence. Vinny looked at him sideways for a moment before he spoke.

"What do you mean?"

"I dunno," AK shrugged, "Like what if DiFrozo says he's not gonna take him? He's gotta know I shot him by now. So what do we do? We kill him?" Now Vinny shrugged and thought about it. He'd been watching the news, and it looked like the cops were going nowhere fast. Actually, he'd heard that the cop had gotten suspended, which could be either real good or real bad. He would have more time to poke around now, but at the same time, he was gonna be useless without his gun and badge.

"Nah, the cops will notice if we kill him. Scarface'll probably just have us kill the cop instead." AK was satisfied, and the two of them left the conversation at that.

* * *

><p>Kevin Ryan woke up suddenly and scrubbed at his eyes with his fists. Stumbling out of bed, he grabbed blindly for the door, knocking something off the dresser. His partner was behind the door when he opened it, and they both started suddenly.<p>

"Where you going, bro? Suspended, remember?" Javier reminded him. Ryan groaned and leaned against the wall.

"I forgot." He stared stupidly at the wall for a moment while his mind caught up with the present. He _was_ suspended. They were _both_ suspended.

"How are we gonna do this?" Kevin asked, pushing himself up and shuffling into the kitchen. Esposito walked behind him, staring at the phone in his hands.

"Beckett and Castle are interviewing DiFrozo again at twelve." Suddenly, Kevin was awake.

"How'd they get him back in?" Javier shrugged.

"Guess he agreed to come back in or something. Dunno." Ryan grabbed his keys and started for the door before his partner called him back.

"Bro?"

"Yeah?"

"You're in your underwear."

* * *

><p>Beckett rolled her cell phone over in her hands several times before Castle appeared beside her.<p>

"You look nervous. What?" Kate stared down at the phone.

"Ryan and Esposito called...They want me to call them while we're interrogating DiFrozo." Castle nodded in understanding.

"So they can hear."

"Right." Beckett heaved a sigh and turned the phone over again.

"If Gates finds out, it's going to be my ass, not theirs." Castle didn't say anything, so Kate made the decision herself. She pushed open the door to the interrogation room and went inside.

* * *

><p>Michael DiFrozo found himself back in the same interrogation room as before. Only this time, the stakes were much, much higher. They knew that he'd lied the first time. He'd gotten the detective suspended, and from what he'd seen on TV, his partner as well. He closed his eyes just as the door opened. This was getting so out of control. All that he wanted was to have his son back. To relive the last month and change the way he had dealt with him.<p>

"Mr. DiFrozo," Castle greeted him, "Guess you loved us so much that you had to come back for more. Let's stick to telling the truth, okay?" Michael opened his eyes and studied the two of them before he nodded.

* * *

><p>Ryan sat at one end of his kitchen table, and Esposito sat at the other. Ryan's phone sat between them, and they stared at it intently. What they were doing was wrong, yes, and they both knew it. But they needed to know. And this was the only way. Beckett and Castle weren't allowed to share any details of the case with them, and detective Dragani wasn't going to tell him any more information than what he would learn from the news and the papers. They had to understand that this was his only alternative, legal or not. Beckett's voice came through the phone suddenly.<p>

"So what are you saying?" DiFrozo hesitated, they could tell. Almost on instinct, they both leaned closer.

"I'm saying that Paolo gets mixed up in all kinds of things. I don't have to tell you that. I don't know why he took the cop's family, alright? But he has some people that keep tabs on gambling bets and stuff like that. Look into it. That's all." Ryan was up (fully clothed) and running before he had even hung up the phone. Esposito was right beside him.

"Bro, you can't do this. You're gonna get your ass kicked." Kevin blinked and opened his mouth to speak before he closed it again.

"Then so be it. If there's a chance, then I need to know." He opened the door and went out to his car before he could change his mind.


	15. If You Only Knew

_**A/N: Castle was effing amazing last night. Resposito was adorable. Sorry I didn't post, fanfiction wouldn't let me log in. Expect a post tomorrow as usual. I'm also cramming for midterms, so still, I'd like room. Business: Ryan's going to get himself into some kind of trouble, and needs Javier to save him. Again. r&r if you're counting down to the new episode. Yours 'till the wheels fall off ;)**_

* * *

><p>"<em>It's 4:03, and I can't sleep. Without you next to me, I toss and turn like the sea. If I drown tonight, bring me back to life, breathe your breath in me, the only thing that I still believe in is you, if you only knew.."-Shinedown<em>

* * *

><p>AK parked the truck and jumped out, stalking toward the front door.<p>

"AK," Vinny said, nodding to the empty drive. AK walked around back, but there was no car parked there, either.

"What, he's not home or somethin'?" Vinny demanded, leaning against the cab of the truck. AK had just opened his mouth to respond when a car pulled into the drive. They watched as DiFrozo climbed out of his car, confused at first, and then aware. He turned to bolt, but AK grabbed him by the collar and slammed him back against the door.

"Going somewhere?" Vinny reached into the man's pocket and took out his keys.

"We'll just let ourselves in," he laughed. AK grinned and shoved DiFrozo inside, glancing back at the truck one last time.

* * *

><p>Michael DiFrozo allowed himself to be thrown into an empty chair at his kitchen table. He watched as the two men slammed the door shut and pulled chairs to sit in front of him.<p>

"You know why we're here?" the bigger one asked. Michael looked down at the table.

"To kill me?" he asked hopefully. Actually, he was praying that that was the reason why they'd come. Why not? The rest of his family was gone, why not take him too? They laughed, and he cringed. It would be something worse, if that was possible. He should have known. It was not unlike his brother to play with his food.

"What does Paolo want me to do?"

* * *

><p>Vinny got up and shoved the chair back into the table. Good. Maybe this was gonna be easier than he'd thought. Scarface wanted them back in case anything jumped off, and the drive was gonna take longer going back.<p>

"You remember that cop's family?" he asked, holding out his hand for the keys. AK tossed them, and he twirled them around his fingers. He watched DiFrozo's face go from confusion (again) to fear.

"Tell me they're not dead," he demanded. Vinny shrugged.

"Maybe they are, maybe they're not. That's not what we're here for. See, things are getting kinda tense up in New York. Don't want the cops catching on and getting curious, you know what I mean?" Michael's eyes grew wide.

"You brought them _here_? What the hell am I supposed to do?" AK shrugged.

"I'm gonna leave 'em upstairs, and you're gonna leave 'em alone. Except, you know, to feed them and stuff." DiFrozo whirled around.

"I can't! I won't! I'll call the police, I'll set them free-" He shivered as the cool metal of AK's gun found its place behind his ear.

"You're gonna do whatever the hell I tell you to do," he threatened.

"I have no wife, no son, nothing. You can't threaten me!" Vinny laughed and pulled out his cell phone.

"Actually, we've got two. One: see this little girl? She belonged to the Copola's. Now, you don't do what we say, and she dies. You don't wanna be responsible for the death of a baby, now do you?" Vinny asked, showing him the picture he'd gotten of the girl this morning.

"And in case you think we're bluffing, I'm gonna stay right here and make sure you don't do anything stupid," AK said, planting himself down in the chair again. They watched Michael's eyes grow wide, and AK rolled his own. What, did this guy not have more than two emotions?

"You're not-You can't-"

"I can." He nodded at Vinny, and he went outside to the truck. AK got back up and spun the gun around his fingers.

"Now this is gonna hurt, but it's gonna make it easier for me. Get ready." Before he could answer, AK swung the gun and knocked him out. Grabbing the rope he'd had in his back pocket, he began tying him up. Vinny would have the lady and the kid in and head back to Jersey in a couple minutes.

* * *

><p>Kevin Ryan bowed his head and walked into Donatello's. He was a few steps ahead of Esposito, and he knew that he only had a couple of seconds before he was found. This was a well known hang out of Scarface's, along with a couple of other places that were always on their radar. Kevin knew that there was a chance that Scarface wouldn't even be there, but it was a risk that he was going to take. As soon as the door slammed shut behind him, the atmosphere tensed, and Ryan knew that he was in the right place. Scanning the room for a back door, he stalked toward it, asking no questions.<p>

"The hell are you doing?" the guy behind the counter called, "You can't go back there!" Good. He was going in the right direction. Ignoring him, he shoved open the door and slipped inside.

* * *

><p>Scarface started suddenly when the back door opened at Donatello's. If possible, he was even more shocked when it turned out to be the cop. But he maintained his calm facade and didn't bother moving. This kid wasn't dangerous, not without his badge and gun. He couldn't do anything. Besides, Vinny was waiting outside, within earshot.<p>

"Hello, Detective Ryan," he greeted him, sitting up straight.

"Tell me what you know about the murder of Mickey DiFrozo, and tell me now!" he yelled. Scarface watched him for a moment, and then gave the signal.

"I don't know what you're talking about, detective."

"The hell you don't! I know he was your nephew, and I know that Michael DiFrozo is your brother! Now tell me what this has to do with my family!" He advanced on Scarface just as Vinny burst in through the backdoor. On instinct, the detective reached for his weapon. Scarface laughed.

"Missing something?" Vinny grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him against a filing cabinet, hard. Scarface got up and made his way out of the backdoor.

"I suppose he has someone coming, so keep it quick. Don't kill him," he warned as the door shut behind him.


	16. Terrible Things

_**A/N: Ugh, midterms start for me on Tuesday. I'm in CRAM mode. And I started a new short story, so I'm trying to get that done for a contest. But enough of my complaining. Business: aftermath of the fight, and news from detectives Mathews and Dragani. By the way, if you feel confused, you probably missed yesterday's update. I wasn't able to post Monday because fanfiction wasn't letting me log on. So read that, then read this! R&R if you hate midterms! Yours 'till the wheels fall off ;)**_

"_I'm only telling you this because life can do terrible things. You'll learn one day, and I hope and I pray, that God shows you differently. Slow, so slow, I fell to the ground on my knees. ..So don't fall in love there's just too much to lose, if you're given the choice, I'm begging you choose to walk away, walk away, don't let it get you, I can't bare to see the same happen to you. I'm only telling you this, because life can do terrible things..."-Mayday Parade_

* * *

><p>Esposito barely stopped himself from kicking down the door to the little restaurant. He'd forgotten that without his gun, he had no right bursting into this place. Instead, he forced himself to use the doorknob just like everyone else. What he saw fueled his rage, and he jumped into the fight without thinking. He shoved his partner out of the way and took on the goon himself. Dodging a clumsily thrown punch, Esposito grabbed his wrist and twisted the arm behind his back. Landing a one handed blow into his stomach, he then grabbed the gun out of his hands and hit him across the face with it. Javier only let go when he saw the goon's eyes close. And then he turned to Ryan.<p>

"Unless you want Gates to find out about this, we gotta go. Can you walk?" he asked, panting. His partner was so shocked that he didn't even open his mouth to respond. He looked like he was in a pain. A lot of it. He wouldn't see the full extent of it until he got him home. Scooping him up in his arms, Esposito kicked open the back door and carried Kevin quickly to his car.

* * *

><p>Javier was concerned about Ryan; there was no doubt about it. But somewhere, he was also <em>pissed<em>. He'd warned Ryan not to go get himself mixed into it, the mob was dangerous. And he hadn't listened, and he'd had his ass handed to him. Not only that, but now he was most certainly back on their radar. He heaved a sigh and drove right through a red light without noticing it. There was just too much to think about right now. Things were too complicated. He just had to make sure Gates didn't find out about the incident. But quite frankly, if he wasn't going to tell, then it wasn't as if the mob was going to drive up to the twelfth and turn themselves in. He looked over at Kevin and sighed again. He was going to bruise. Terribly.

* * *

><p>Kevin stared sullenly out of the car window as Esposito drove them back home. His plan hadn't exactly worked the way he wanted...Or, you know, at all. All that had happened was he'd gotten his ass kicked, and probably put the two of them back into harm's way. He closed his eyes and tried to forget everything. But memories were persistent. And the radiating pain from literally every bone in his body wouldn't let him off that easy, either. He heard the engine shut off, and he knew that he was back. Esposito opened his door for him, and Kevin waved him away.<p>

"Bro, I don't think you can-"

"I can walk!" Ryan snapped, unbuckling his seat belt and cringing at the sudden movement.

"You can't, and you know you can't. I'm trying to help you bro, so let me," his partner said lowly. Kevin closed his eyes and then nodded.

"Fine," he said tightly. He gritted his teeth as he allowed himself to be picked up. Again.

* * *

><p>Javier set his partner down on the couch and journeyed to the bathroom to find the first aid kit. He was silent as he unpacked it and tenderly wiped at the blood on Ryan's face. Then he assessed the damage. His right eye was beginning to bruise, and his lip had been busted up pretty bad. Esposito handed him an icepack for his face and moved to take Ryan's shirt off. Lethargically, Kevin pushed him away.<p>

"No," he said. Javier rocked back on his heels.

"I want to make sure he didn't break any ribs," he explained. His partner shook his head.

"No," he repeated.

"Kevin. Bro. You just got your ass _kicked, _alright? Let me fix it." Just then, Ryan burst out laughing, groaning when he realized how badly it hurt.

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?" Javier grinned.

"Hell yeah."

"Alright. I think my wrist is broken, though." Esposito checked that first.

"It's just sprained, but it's still gonna hurt like hell." He wrapped it and then tossed him an open bottle of Advil.

"You gonna let me check your ribs now?" he asked. Kevin shook two pills out of the bottle and nodded with hesitation. As carefully as he could, Javier, Javier reached out and applied gentle pressure, working around Ryan's sharp intake of breath. His breathing became shallow as Javier's fingers pressed softly against his middle. Satisfied, he sat back.

"Nothing's broken, but you're gonna be bruised for days, bro." He figured that Ryan would be able to walk easier tomorrow. But for now, he was going to be in all kinds of pain. He sunk down onto the couch beside Ryan and sighed.

"You get anything at least?" Kevin closed his eyes.

"No. Nothing." His phone rang, and Ryan seized it, injuries forgotten.

"Hello? Yes, hi. Do you have any-no? Oh, well then-but-..yes. Yes, I understand. Yes. Okay. See you then." He hung up and stared at the phone like it was going to start talking again.

"Who was that?"

"Detective Dragani. They don't have any updates, but they want to talk to me. They'll be here tomorrow."

* * *

><p>Jenny woke up, dazed, and immediately reached for her daughter, but quickly found that she was bound, both hands and feet, with rope. But she wasn't gagged, so she settled for screaming instead. She heard footsteps, and moments later, the door opened. There stood the taller of the two men who she'd seen over the course of the kidnapping.<p>

"Where the hell is my daughter?" she hissed, all the while trying to gain her bearings. It looked like she was in an attic.

"She's safe," he answered vaguely.

"I want proof of life!" she yelled back. He smirked and then turned to go.

"Keep it down, sweetheart, or I'm gonna have to gag you, too." She strained against her bindings, but she couldn't get free. A sudden thought seized her and wouldn't let go. She'd always been allowed to walk around before. And Riley was always with her. What had changed?


	17. Papa, Can You Hear Me?

_**A/N: Seriously. Midterms. Like can we stop with the school work now, please? Hopefully I pass them, ESPECIALLY my geometry one. I SUCK at math. Business: Detective Drgani has some troubling news and Beckett and Castle have new information..but all of that takes the back seat when a certain detective ends up in the hospital under a suicide watch. r&r if you can't wait 'till spring break! Yours 'till the wheels fall off ;)**_

_Papa, can you hear me? Papa can you find me in the night? Papa, can you help me not be frightened? Looking at the skies I seem to see, a million eyes. Which ones are yours? Where are you now that yesterday has waved goodbye and closed its doors? The night is so much darker; the wind is so much colder; the world I see is so much bigger now that I'm alone."-Nina Simone_

Detectives Dragani and Matthews drove to Kevin Ryan's house in silence. The news that they were about to deliver was anything but good. Dragani could recall the countless times she'd given this talk, patted the parents on the shoulder and said, I'm sorry, but there's nothing more that we can do. But she'd never given the talk to one of her own. The house came up ahead, and she took a breath. Whatever was coming, it wouldn't go over well.

* * *

><p>Kevin paced back and forth in front of the door. The cliche of it was terrible, but he just couldn't help it. Javier had run out earlier to his own apartment to shower and dress, and he'd promised to be back by the time the detectives had arrived. But both parties were late, and it was driving him insane. Ryan was able to walk better today, but everything else still hurt like hell. Not to mention all the bruising on his face...The bell rang, and he jumped. Taking a deep breath, Kevin put his hand on the doorknob. He knew what this was about.<p>

* * *

><p>Ryan opened the door and led the detectives to the kitchen, wondering why his partner hadn't returned yet. He sat down across from them and waited for them to begin.<p>

"What happened to your face?" Detective Matthews asked bluntly.

"Oh, I umm...fell," he said weakly. It was a pretty shitty excuse, and they all knew it. Gates couldn't find out.

"I know what this is about," he told them. Detective Dragani nodded.

"Then you know that we still have to say it. Since the mob lead, we've made no significant progress on the case. It's been determined that your wife and daughter were abducted accidentally, because of their resemblance to the family of Joseph Copola. Because they know that they have the family of a police officer, they believe that they have no other choice-"

"Please, don't," Kevin whispered. The detective continued on.

"We believe that your family is dead.

* * *

><p>Javier looked quickly at the clock on his dash and floored the accelerator. He was already ten minutes late, and he'd promised his partner that he would be there for him. He hadn't meant to take so long, but seeing Lanie had been unexpected. Long overdue, but unexpected. She'd been waiting for him when he had pulled up to his building. He hadn't known what to say, but that was okay, because Lanie had said it all. He remembered it, word for word.<p>

"Javier, I know you're busy with Kevin, and you probably have to get back, but I have something to say. So just listen, alright?" He'd nodded, not knowing what else to do.

"This isn't the place, really, but I couldn't sleep. Don't you think it was because of you," she warned him, seeing him smirk,

"I just look at the Copolas, and I think about how quickly life ends. They just had a _daughter_, Javier. And now they're gone, and Jenny and Riley are gone...Nobody knows how long they have left, Javi. I know you want to be with me, and as much as I hate to admit it most of the time, I want to be with you too, and that's all I have to say." She'd turned to go, but Esposito had reached out to catch her arm.

"You mean it?" Looking back, he hated that those were the only three words that he had been able to string together. But Lanie had nodded, and he'd kissed her, and now they were back to being whatever they had been before. And now he was late. Javier parked next to the curb and jumped out of his car.

* * *

><p>No one was saying anything as he walked in. He surveyed the scene. Matthews and Dragani were staring down at the table, and his partner had his head in his hands.<p>

"What did you tell him?" he demanded, not bothering to announce his arrival. Everyone jumped, but again, no one spoke.

"What," he repeated, "Did you say to him?" Dragani spoke.

"All that we did," she began, "Was tell Detective Ryan that we believe his family to be...deceased." Esposito had to walk out of the room, calm himself, and then walk back in before he could speak again.

"Get out." Wordlessly, they were gone. Esposito put a hand on Kevin's shoulder.

"Bro, you okay? Don't believe a word they said; you and I both know that Jenny's a fighter, and she's not gonna let anything happen to Riley. We'll find them."

"But what if we don't?" Ryan breathed, "What if they really are gone?" Javier didn't have an answer, and Kevin got up.

"Where are you going?"  
>"I'm just gonna go...sleep..." He gestured in the direction of his bedroom and shuffled off. Javier waited for a moment before he followed him.<p>

"What are you doing?" his partner asked, tired.

"Not leaving you alone."

* * *

><p>Ryan rubbed his eyes as he stumbled out of his bedroom. The clocks in the kitchen said that it was almost eight thirty, but he found it hard to believe that he could have slept for so long. He wasn't going to lie, however, it felt good. He hadn't slept for that long since the beginning of it all. He reached for a glass and was about to fill it up when he felt the cold metal of a gun against his temple. Grimacing, he put the glass down.<p>

"What do you want?" He wasn't sure who it was, but he had an idea.

"I need you to do me a favor. You see, the boss wasn't real happy with me for letting you get away the other day."

"Are you going to shoot me?" He wasn't going to turn around, and he wasn't going to call for Javier, either. They would settle this.

"You're gonna do the dirty work for me." An open bottle of asprin slid into focus, and Kevin nearly laughed.

"You want me to OD. No one will believe it."

"I don't care if they won't believe it, I need you to do it."

"And if I don't?" He looked down at the counter and glanced down at the phone screen. There was a grainy picture of Jenny and Riley. Jenny was bound, and Riley looked like she'd been crying. His heart beat double time and he shivered.

"You tell me where they are," he threatened. The gunman laughed.

"Take the pills, or I make the call." He knew that it was possible that the gunman was making the entire thing up...but he didn't want to risk it. If he was responsible for the death of his own family..He wouldn't be able to live. He picked up the bottle. Javier was in the other room. He'd drive him to the hospital. Somehow, doing this felt like giving up. He picked up the bottle anyway.

"That's right. The whole bottle." Detective Ryan did as he was told.


	18. Believe

_**A/N: Happy MLK day! I'm supposed to be studying for midterms again today...But apparently I want to fail, because I can't focus. Awesome. But I'm now obsessed with Downton Abbey...So is my mom. It's an all out addiction. Business: Last chapter a bit of a shocker? We're working to clear everything up in this chapter. Beckett has important news, and Castle has a hunch that he can't let go. But more importantly: Will Ryan be okay? r&r to find out! Yours 'till the wheels fall off ;)**_

"_I am the way, I am the light, I am the dark inside the night. I hear your hopes, I feel your dreams, and in the dark I hear your screams. Don't turn away, just take my hand, and when you make your final stand, I'll be right there, I'll never leave. And all I ask of you: Believe..."-Trans Siberian Orchestra_

* * *

><p>Javier yawned and stretched broadly, shoving himself up from the ground where he had fallen asleep hours earlier. He turned his head to look at his partner, but he wasn't in bed. His heart began to beat wildly as he pushed open the bathroom door and found it empty.<p>

"Kevin!" he yelled, opening the door. Again, on instinct, he reached for his gun, but came up empty handed. He gritted his teeth and charged out into the hallway anyway. Any number of things could have happened to his partner. He could have gone off again, he could have been kidnapped...or something else, something darker, more tragic than he wanted to think.

"Kevin!" he called again, rounding the corner into the kitchen. Upon first inspection, it was clear. He'd been about to grab his coat and head outside when he saw him. Immediately, he dropped to his knees beside Ryan and pulled him onto his lap.

"Ryan?" he questioned, pressing against his neck for a pulse. For a moment he thought he felt one, but then it subsided. New panic gripped his heart as he called out his partner's name again. Nothing woke him. Javier looked around for something that would explain what had happened. He looked onto the counter and noticed the empty glass- _and an empty bottle of asprin. _Tears burned at his eyes as he reached for his cell phone and dialed 911. He had no idea how long his partner had been passed out.

* * *

><p>Lanie climbed out of her car and dodged the team of paramedics that charged out of Kevin's house and onto the front lawn. The place looked like a crime scene; the only thing missing was the reporters. But she'd spoken too soon, because just then a news van pulled up. She shook her head and ran to Javier when he came out of the building.<p>

"Javi!" She embraced him, feeling his strong body tremble against hers. She knew that he was in tears, and she was as well. She'd hadn't gotten the whole story over the phone, but she'd gotten enough of it to come over as quickly as she could. He pulled away and wiped his eyes, turning so that she wouldn't see. She held his hands at her side and kissed his cheek for comfort.

"What happened, baby?" she asked quietly. Esposito looked down at the ground before he began to speak.

"Dragani and Matthews came over and told Ryan that Riley and Jenny were probably dead. He took it pretty hard and said he was going to sleep, so I followed him. Guess we both fell asleep, 'cause next thing I knew, he was on the floor, dying, and I was too late," he said furiously, balling his hands into fists. Lanie watched him and then offered him her words of comfort.

"Javier Esposito, don't you dare blame yourself for this. Kevin's been under a lot of pressure lately-"

"But why would he _do_ this?" he demanded, "It doesn't make sense!"

"Detective, we're leaving, so if you'd like to ride with him," one of the paramedics said, gesturing to the ambulance. Javier pulled Lanie to himself one final time before he boarded the ambulance and it left. She stayed for a moment longer before she got back into her car and followed them to the hospital.

* * *

><p>"Got something!" Beckett announced, slapping the counter so hard that her mug of lukewarm coffee nearly took a flying leap from the table. Castle sat with his back to her, eyes glued to the TV. She took his silence for sleep and continued to speak aloud, even if it was to herself. They'd been searching along enough.<p>

"Copola owed somebody in the mob some serious money. Looks like he had a penchant for gambling that he couldn't quite control, and he got into it deep with a bookie. One of Scarface's." This was the connection that they needed to really get going on this. Once she brought this to Gates-

"Kate?" Castle said suddenly, "I think you need to see this." She turned around and nearly choked. She didn't need to hear what they were saying to understand what was going on.

"Oh my God, Castle," she whispered, clutching the counter for support. Her mind was a blur. There was no possible way-

"We need to get over there," Richard said, taking her by the elbow and pushing her out of the door.

* * *

><p>Everyone convened in the waiting room at the hospital. There were rumors of Gates making her way down, along with the mayor and plenty of others. But all that anyone could think about was why.<p>

"Is he okay?" Beckett asked, just as Castle had burst out with,

"What happened?" Esposito sat with his head in his hands, and Lanie spoke for him, rubbing his back in slow, comforting circles.

"Apparently the detectives from missing persons said something that upset Kevin this morning, and Ryan decided to go to sleep. Javi went with him, to make sure that he didn't do anything stupid. They both fell asleep, and when Javier woke up...he found Kevin." Beckett covered her eyes with her hands.

"Oh God."

"Does the press already know?" Javier asked.

"Saw it on the news before we got down here," Castle told him, sitting down.

"This is a mess," Beckett announced to no one in particular. She took a seat next to Lanie.

"We need to pray for Kevin, okay? Even if you don't pray, tonight you do," the medical examiner told them, taking both Javier and Beckett's hands in her own. The rest followed suit, and they bowed their heads as she began.

"Father in heaven, we ask that tonight you help one of our own in his time of need..."

* * *

><p>Sleepily, Ryan opened his eyes and tried to move his head, but found it too painful. A thirst burned at his throat.<p>

"Can I..." he began, grimacing at the way his voice croaked. The nurse looked down at him and smiled.

"You're awake." And then she was gone, and a doctor had taken his place.

"You're extremely lucky, detective. Your partner found you just in time." Kevin blinked.

"Found me...? What happened?" He couldn't say that he remembered anything after speaking with detectives Dragani and Matthews. Something had obviously happened to him, or he wouldn't have been in the hospital.

"You don't remember? You swallowed an entire bottle of asprin, Detective Ryan." He'd done _what_? He would never have...Trying to remember made his head hurt.

"Can I see Javier?" he asked, closing his eyes.

"I don't think-"

"Please."

* * *

><p>Javier entered the room cautiously. The only thing he hated more than hospitals was seeing someone he loved in one. He sat down next to Kevin's bed and took his hand. He couldn't make himself speak. He didn't know what to say. Ryan's eyes opened, and he smiled grimly.<p>

"Hey, bro." Esposito embraced him as much as the hospital bed allowed.

"You ever scare me like that again, and I'll kick your ass," he threatened. He had so many questions, but now didn't seem like the time.


	19. Famous Last Words

_**A/N: Midway through midterms...see what I did there? Just kidding, I'm not funny. But I only have one last one to go tomorrow, then I'm off the hook until finals. Business (and there is a lot of it): There's only ONE more chapter after this, so get ready to say goodbye. Loose ends are being tied up, discoveries are being made, and Castle and Beckett believe they know where Jenny and Riley are. But what they don't know is...are they alive? r&r and thanks for sticking with me! Yours 'till the wheels fall off ;)**_

"_'Cause I see you lying next to me, with words I thought I'd never speak: Awake and unafraid? Asleep or dead? I am not afraid to keep on living, I am not afraid to walk this world alone. Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven, nothing you can say can stop me going home."-My Chemical Romance_

* * *

><p>Javier had allowed his partner to get some sleep, but he had returned as soon as he could. Everyone was still keeping vigil outside, though they had received word that Ryan was okay hours ago. Esposito resumed his regular seat and offered his partner the cup of water the nurse had left. He accepted it gratefully and downed it at once. Neither man said a word for a moment, because they knew that they'd have to talk about it if they did. Kevin took the initiative.<p>

"I don't remember anything," he admitted, crushing the cup in his hands and letting it fall to the hospital sheets.

"Nothing?" Javier found that somewhat hard to believe. He didn't want to think that his partner really had attempted suicide, but no other explanation made any sense? How else had he downed an entire bottle of asprin? Kevin sighed.

"I know you don't believe me. I can't even really believe it myself. But I know that I did _not_ willingly attempt suicide. I had to have been forced, or threatened, or something," Ryan said willfully. Javier sat back.

"I was thinking about it, but bro, there was no one else in the house but me and you. What do you remember?" His partner closed his eyes and tried to concentrate, but his memories were fuzzy. He really couldn't remember anything before...

"Wait! I got up to get a drink of water. I remember that it was late. And..." he faltered. Whatever glimmer of a memory he'd thought he had disappeared.

"Keep going. Just go slow," Javier suggested, leaning forward. At least they were getting somewhere.

"I really can't-" he lapsed into silence for what seemed like an eternity before he sat up completely straight and almost yanked out his IV.

"What?" Esposito demanded.

"I remember what happened! Get Beckett!"

* * *

><p>Kate and Richard hustled to Castle's car. As he drove to the twelfth, Beckett went over what Ryan had said to her. She wanted to accept it without a doubt, but the story was a little tough to swallow.<p>

"Beckett, what happened to Ryan's face?" Castle questioned suddenly, interrupting her. She stopped for a moment and thought.

"What do you-Oh my God, I didn't even notice that! There's something Espo didn't tell us." She reached into her pocket and dialed his number. It rang to the point where she was sure it would go straight to voicemail when he picked up.

"Esposito," he answered.

"Okay, what didn't you tell us?"

"What? Ryan told you everything he remembers. And I was asleep, so-"

"I mean about his face, Esposito. What mess did he get himself into?" Judging by the silence, it was something big. Beckett groaned and leaned against the window.

"Tell me. Everything. Right now."

* * *

><p>By the time they arrived at the precinct, Beckett had gotten the entire story out of Javier. While it complicated some things, it also explained others. Like why someone would force Ryan to swallow an entire bottle of asprin. He'd screwed with the wrong people, and now they'd pushed back.<p>

"Detective Beckett, the landlord at Mickey DiFrozo's apartment dropped these off," a cop said, holding out a large brown paper bag. She motioned for Castle to take it.

"It's probably all his stuff. Castle, go call Michael DiFrozo and tell him we have his son's possessions. I don't know why it took so long. The number's on my desk. I need to go talk to Gates." Richard dropped the bag on the desk and pawed through the papers until he found DiFrozo's number. A quick glance up at the clock told him that it was getting on seven. He should have been awake. He tried the house phone first, and received no answer. Frowning, he tried the cell, only to be met with the same result. He tried the cell phone again, thinking that maybe Michael hadn't woken up yet. Instead of ringing, it went straight to voicemail. Now Castle sat down and tried again. Voicemail. He bit his lip and called the house phone.

_"Your call cannot be completed as dialed-_" Castle pushed away from the desk and went to find Beckett. Either his brother had gotten to him, or DiFrozo was going to make a run for it.

* * *

><p>AK had recognized the number from the moment it showed up on DiFrozo's cell. The cops were onto something. Not knowing what else to do, he had turned off the phone and disconnected the landline. He didn't know how long he had before someone showed up, so he dug out his burner and dialed Vinny.<p>

"What?"

"The cops called here," he said, wandering upstairs to check on the lady and the kid.

"So what did you do?"

"Disconnected the phone." He already knew that he'd done the wrong thing. He was just waiting for Vinny to tell him what to do.

"The cops are coming," he said calmly, "Kill them." AK nodded once.

"And the old man?"

"Kill him, too. Now. And then get the hell out of there." They disconnected, and AK pulled his gun out of his waistband.


	20. Safe And Sound

_**A/N: Okay everyone, this is the last chapter! Thanks for everyone who read and reviewed like I always asked. This was fun to work on! Keep an eye out for whatever I may write next. Business: (for the last time!) Castle and Beckett go check up on Castle's hunch, an important discovery, justice, and an epilogue. r&r and thanks you guys! Yours 'till the wheels fall off ;) (And ever after!)**_

"_Just close your eyes, the sun is going down. You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe & sound..."-Taylor Swift_

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><p>Beckett knew full well that she wouldn't have jurisdiction in Jersey, but she'd listened to Castle and had brought back up on their way down. A few more minutes, and they would be there. Beckett sat in the passenger seat as Richard drove, lost in her own thoughts. She didn't know what they were going to find at the house. With their luck, it would probably be empty. But something else bugged her. What if something had happened to Michael? When the mob was involved, there were no guarantees. And that was the other thing that was driving her crazy. What if Dragani and Matthews had been right? What if...? But she didn't even want to think it, much less explore the possibility. It would destroy them all; Ryan the most. She couldn't imagine-<p>

"We're here." And so they were. She got out of the car and gave the signal immediately. There was no longer time for any sort of hesitation.

* * *

><p>AK slammed the window shut and stalked back to where he was keeping DiFrozo. He was asleep, but AK knew that he had to kill him. He'd seen his face already. He heard the front door fall to the ground as it was kicked down, and he made his decision quickly. There was no way in hell that he was gonna make it out of this alive. He smiled grimly. Scarface and Vinny already knew that. He was an acceptable loss.<p>

"Might as well go out in a blaze of glory," he said sarcastically, taking the safety off of the gun and firing two quick bullets into the sleeping man's chest. He'd never wake. AK heard steps coming up the stairs, and he shouldered his way out of that room and into the attic where he'd stashed the lady and the baby. He locked the door behind it and leaned against it. The baby was crying again, and the woman was staring at him, eyes wide.

"Shut that baby up. No more fun and games," he hissed, brandishing his gun. He pressed an ear against the door and heard nothing for a moment. And then:

"We heard the shots fired. Leave your gun on the floor and exit the room with your hands up, or we'll kick down the door." They were right outside. The only thing that stood between them was a piece of wood. AK ignored them. He had another decision to make.

* * *

><p>Castle held Beckett up as they waited at the foot of the steps. They'd both heard the two shots that had been fired. What terrified them was uncertainty. They didn't know who the shots had been for. As horrible as it sounded, Beckett prayed that it had been DiFrozo. They hadn't even considered the idea that Jenny and Riley might be here, and if they were...there was a good chance that they were already dead. She bit her lip as Rick's cell phone rang. He stayed right by her side as he picked up.<p>

"Hello?" He mouthed to her that Esposito was on the other line, and she told him to ask what he wanted. Castle listened for a moment, and then pressed the phone into his shoulder.

"He wants to talk to you. Says you weren't picking up." Distantly, Kate remembered dropping her phone somewhere at the precinct. She shook her head and accepted the phone, peering up the stairs to get a good look at what was going on.

"What happened to Ryan?"

"Nothing happened-Where are you?" he asked suddenly.

"Why?" she retorted, just as another shot rang out. She closed her eyes because she knew that her people hadn't fired it. It was completely possible that it was just DiFrozo playing chicken, but it didn't make sense. She knew Scarface had ordered someone here.

"Beckett?" A cry. Soft and distant at first, but then louder, until it became an all out wail. Kate almost melted in relief. Riley was live. For now. But they had to act quickly.

"I think we found Jenny and Riley. Just don't tell Ryan anything until I call you back, okay?" She hung up.

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><p>Esposito stared at his cell phone for a moment before he dropped it and continued driving. He hadn't gotten the chance to mention that Ryan had convinced him to break him out of the hospital and drive him to Jersey. Something about DiFrozo still wasn't sitting right with him.<p>

"What did she say?" Kevin asked hoarsly. He was still pale and a little weak, but he had mostly recovered. Javier chose to remain silent.

"Javi?" Nothing.

"Javier, if you don't tell me what Beckett said, I'm going to call her back, and she's gonna tell me."

"Fine," he sighed, "She's at DiFrozo's. And...she thinks Riley might be in there."

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><p>Jenny hadn't been able to keep Riley quiet after the man had shot a bullet into the wall just above her head. She was having a hard time controlling herself, she was so afraid. She knew it was the end, and she wondered why Kevin wasn't there. Maybe he had given up. The man turned around and shoved the gun in her face.<p>

"I told you to shut the baby up!"

"She's upset!" Jenny shouted tearfully, already near her breaking point. There was nothing more

that she could do to calm Riley.

"Does it look like I give a shit?" He clicked the safety on and off for a moment before he aimed the gun at her face. She closed her eyes.

"Do it. But let my baby live," she murmured through her tears. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of watching her die with her eyes open. A sudden shot rang out, and then the room seemed to explode. The door was kicked down, and there was an immediate exchange of bullets. She hugged Riley close to her and covered her ears, convinced that they would somehow be caught up in the crossfire. She opened her eyes, unscathed, and saw the feet in front of her. They belonged to a police officer.

"Ma'am, I have your baby. Come with me." Blindly, she reached out a hand as she was scooped up and carried from the room. Her ears rang so loudly that she barely noticed that the shooting had stopped. She threw a glance over her shoulder and began to cry when she saw that the one who had been taking them hostage was lying dead on the floor. Someone was dead because of her. She buried her head into the cop's shoulder and closed her eyes again.

* * *

><p>Javier was just helping Kevin out of the car when it happened. They'd heard the spray of bullets from outside, but they had no idea what was going on in the house. Beckett and Castle weren't picking up. Though his expression remained stoic, Ryan felt as if he was falling apart inside. There was just no way to be sure. He had just pushed away from the car when people began pouring out of the house. He froze and watched with some mix of horror and anticipation. Esposito grabbed his arm.<p>

"Bro," he whispered, "Bro...it's Jenny!" It took a long moment for the words to truly sink into his conscious. Kevin seized his partner.

"Where?" he demanded, trying to see between the masses of uniforms. For what seemed like an eternity, he couldn't see a thing. And then there she was, cradled in the arms of a police officer. He couldn't make himself move, so he simple stared.

"Go!" He stumbled forward, thoroughly surprised when her name broke free from his lips. And then she looked up, and their eyes locked. The world went silent as he tried to comprehend what was happening. After so long...

"Kevin!" The police officer put her down, and she launched herself at him. And then it finally hit him. He was holding Jenny. He was holding his wife. And she was alive.

* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

Ryan taped up the final box and rested beside it for a moment. Javier knocked on the open door, and he waved him in. Lanie, Beckett, and Castle followed closely behind just as Jenny came back in from the nursery, rocking Riley to sleep.

"Hi," Jenny whispered, greeting them. Kevin put an arm around her waist and eyed the boxes that were scattered throughout the living room. His partner did the same.

"I can't believe you're moving, bro," he said, smoothing his hand over the closest box. Kevin shrugged.

"It just doesn't feel safe here anymore. Besides, we have to think about what's best for Riley," he said.

"You already spoke to Gates?" Beckett asked softly, crossing her arms. It was hard seeing one of her own go.

"Turned in my gun and badge." Lanie shook her head.

"I can't believe you're leaving." Kevin smiled sadly.

"Neither can I. I'm gonna miss you guys," Ryan said wistfully. Javier stepped forward and wrapped his partner in a bear hug.

"I love you, bro," he murmured. Ryan closed his eyes.

"I love you too. I can't even...I mean...For everything. Thank you. Seriously, Javier. You saved me, bro." He didn't want to cry, but he ended up doing it anyway. Everyone was a little teary eyed.

"Well, it's 12:30...not to early to drink," Castle announced, holding up the bottle of champagne he'd brought with him. As Richard poured, Kevin took a moment to study the friends that he had been blessed to have. He would miss them with everything he had, but he knew that this move was for the better. That didn't make it any easier. He accepted his cup and raised it in a toast.

"To friends, no matter how far apart they may be."


End file.
